House and the Cop
by LANIKI
Summary: House meets his match in a lady cop who's not afraid to stand up to him. HouseOC Thanks to all my readers story is now COMPLETED!
1. Chapter 1: An Interesting Meeting

He was finally finished with the patient. It hadn't been that hard a case, but it had been frustrating and he was tired. Plus, his leg hurt, but what was new about that ?

House exited the hospital room after one last visit with his patient. At the sound of the commotion in the hallway, he turned to see what the racket was. A nurse, looking flustered and upset, was trying to stop a woman from entering a room a few doors down.

"I need to talk to her, right now!" The woman insisted in a harsh voice.

"I'm sorry," the nurse said, "My orders are no one gets in this room."

"I don't give a damn about your orders! This is life and death, don't you understand?"

House usually couldn't care less about patients or their families, not even his patients and their families. But something about this situation – and the woman – piqued his curiosity. He limped his way down the hall to the two women.

"What's the problem here?"

"Who the hell are you?" the woman demanded.

"Doctor." He stated simply, daring her to confront him.

"Cop," she said, holding up a badge and looking him straight in the eyes. "And I really hate doctors and hospitals."

"That's convenient, because I really hate cops. But our mutual dislike of each other still doesn't answer my question. What's going on?"

The nurse opened her mouth, but the woman spoke first. "The person in that room is a material witness to a serial rapist. She's the first one to survive the attacks and I need to get her description of the perp right now!"

The nurse finally spoke up. "Dr. House, I've been ordered not to let anyone in the room." She added, looking at the woman, "Especially the police."

House looked at the cop as well. She was tall and slim, with light brown hair cut short. No makeup, no jewelry. But somehow, he didn't think she needed any of those enhancements. Her skin was smooth and clear and her hazel eyes were bright with intelligence and determination. Not a bad package, from his view.

The woman looked at him as well. "House. So you're the infamous House. Tritter's whipping boy."

House looked into her eyes, a look of mixed anger and consternation on his face. Then he turned to the nurse. "Go back to your duties. I'll take care of the officer."

"It's detective, not officer. Detective Martin." The woman said curtly.

The nurse took at look at the two of them and went back into the hospital room. House turned back to Detective Martin.

"Detective," he said, stretching out the syllables. "No one whips me. Unless they're wearing black leather and I pay them to do it."

She gave him a glance, then said, "I really need to talk to that lady. Right away."

"Yea, I get that. But as a doctor, I can tell you that it isn't going to happen right now. They're probably doing stuff like, I don't know, trying to save her life. That sort of takes precedence over your investigation."

"Not if other women die because this scumball is still on the street. Look, doc, I get you're doing the whole hospital doctor thing. I appreciate it. But I need to talk to her!"

House was impressed. She hadn't backed down an inch when he attacked her. She was made of some pretty strong stuff, he decided.

"How about if I let you know as soon as I can slip you in to see her?"

She was taken aback. "You'll slip me in? Without the other doctor knowing?"

"Why not? You need to see her, she's not my patient." Yet, he thought, hoping she wouldn't turn out to have some unknown ailment and end up in his lap.

"I thought you hated cops."

"I do. Or mostly I hate one cop, but it's easy to lump all the rest in with him."

"Tritter's an asshole." She said, almost under her breath.

"My, my, that shows a lack of loyalty to your fellow officer."

She looked at him, her head to the side. "It's hard to be loyal to someone like him. What'd you do to him anyway?"

"Merely my job as a medical professional. I took his temperature."

When she continued to look at him with a question on her face, he added, "Okay, I took it in an orifice a little south of his mouth."

She stifled a laugh. "How did you manage that?"

"You don't think I know how to use a rectal thermometer?"

"No, I wondered how you were able to get it in. There shouldn't have been any room with the stick he always keeps up there."

House smiled. He liked this woman. When she saw the smile, she looked at him again and noticed the bright blue eyes in the unshaven face. The shabby clothes did nothing to hide the fact that the guy was sexy as hell. She took a deep breath.

"Okay, I get it," she said. "You guys need to do your stuff." She pulled a card out of her pocket. "This is my card. It's got my office and cell numbers on it. Call me as soon as I can get in, got it?"

""Got it," he said earnestly. She turned and walked down the hall. He watched her leave, keeping his eyes on her posterior as she went. Oh, yes, he liked this woman.


	2. Chapter 2: Opposites Attract

Thanks for the review – 1! I'm continuing because I want to. If anyone out there is reading, I'd love your input. Note: there won't be too much medicine in this. I'm not anywhere involved in the medical field and would be completely at a loss. This is a relationship story only.

House was hiding out in his office with his Gameboy, when there was a knock on his door.

"No one is here. Go away." He was perturbed when the door started opening, assuming it was Cuddy trying to get him to do his clinic hours. But he was pleasantly surprised when the person who entered was Det. Martin.

"I don't want to disturb you, doc. Obviously you're involved in serious medical matters." She said, motioning to the Gameboy.

"You have no idea how serious. Lives hang in the balance." But as he spoke, he put the game down and sat up a little straighter.

She bent her head, hiding a swift smile. "I was just visiting my witness and I wanted to tell you what I told her. We got the guy. Got a confession out of him too. He'll be going away for a long time. I want to thank you for helping me."

House had called her a few hours after the doctors were finished with the woman and had told her to come right away to see the patient. She had, he met her in the hall and told her she had 20 minutes. He would keep everyone away from the room for that long only. She had slipped in and he had limped down to the nurse's station, while still keeping the room in view. He had railed at the nurses for some non existant complaint, effectively occupying their tine and thoughts until he saw Det. Martin slip out of the room. She had given him a little wave as she turned and headed for the elevator.

Obviously, it had been worth it.

"You probably would have caught him anyway."

"Oh, I know I would have. But how many other women would he have killed before I had enough evidence to bring him in? Timing's everything. So thanks." She started to turn back to the door.

It had been a long time since House had been with a woman he liked and he liked this one. He was unsure what to say, but he knew he had to say something.

Just as she was starting out the door, he said, "I think you should buy me a drink to celebrate."

She turned back. "Why should I do that? I solved the case, you didn't."

"Okay, then I think I should buy you a drink to celebrate."

"That makes more sense. I'm finished at six."

"Me too. Want to meet me?"

"Sure. Where?"

He named a bar a few blocks from the hospital. She nodded and turned back to the door. "See you then, doc."

"The name's House – or Greg. Not doc. That clear, cop?"

She looked over her shoulder at him. "The name's Martin –or Kate. Not cop. You got that?" She left the office.

House leaned back in his chair. Oh, yes, he liked this woman.

The bar was just a small neighborhood place that House often stopped in after work. The owner knew him and let him park behind the bar, next to his own car so that House didn't have to walk far to get in. Since it was close to the hospital and he always tried to sneak out early to annoy Cuddy, House got there first. He was sitting at a table with a drink in front of him when Kate walked in. He wasn't exactly watching the door, but he knew when she entered the crowded bar. He saw her scan the room looking for him. He was about to pull himself to his feet to signal her, when her eyes met his and she headed straight for his table.

She sat down and soon had a drink in front of her. He looked at her quickly. She was wearing black slacks and a tan shirt. It fit her well, but not too tight. She also had a tan blazer over the shirt. It was little too baggy on her. She was obviously not interested in being stylish, but he realized the jacket wasn't a fashion faux pas. She was a cop and needed to be able to hide her gun. As slim as she was, that would be hard to do if the jacket fit well.

The conversation got started slowly, beginning with jobs.

He asked, "How can you deal with all those criminals? Don't you want to just shoot them right away and clean up society?"

"Do you want to just kill all your patients as soon as they come in and end all their suffering?"

"Sometimes. It depends on how annoyed I am that day."

She laughed. "Okay, there are some days…but mostly I believe in the law. I believe in protecting the good guys and putting the bad guys away."

He rolled his eyes. "Oh no, you're one of those!"

"One of those what?"

"A do-gooder. Someone who believes she can change the world and save mankind."

"Nope. I know I can't change the world and there's very little hope for mankind. People are generally jerks. But I can get rid of the worst of them and make this little part of the planet almost bearable for me to live in,"

"Yea, I get that. That why you became a cop?"

"Partly. Why'd you become a doctor?"

"Power. Pure and simple. It's a trip holding life or death over someone's head." He said it with no emotion on his face. But she sensed that he wasn't ready to tell her the truth. That was okay, she had her secrets too.

That was almost the last time they agreed on anything. When they started to talk about their hobbies and pastimes, there was nothing they had in common.

Kate: "Why in the world would you watch those TV shows? They're asinine and boring."

House: "Sports? What is so appealing about watching rich men chase a ball around a field or a court or whatever?"

Kate: "Video games? How can you possibly waste your time with that garbage? I'd rather go to the gym and work out my hostilities on a human being."

"That's a little hard for me. People tend to shrink from beating up on a cripple. Unless I've been particularly charming that day."

She stopped and looked at her drink for a minute. Then she looked at him and asked "So what did happen to your leg?"

He told her briefly about the infarction, the misdiagnosis and the results.

"God, it must suck to have that pain all the time."

"Yea, well, it was my decision not to have it amputated. I just couldn't cut off my leg."

"Oh, I get that. No way anybody would cut anything off of me. I don't even like to shave my legs."

He smiled then. Not many people understood, not many really got it. This woman did.

"Well, Greg, this has been …interesting. But I have to work in the morning. More bad guys to put away."

He signaled for the check. When it came, they both looked at it, but no one reached for it.

She said, "You asked me out. It's your treat."

"Well, technically, we're celebrating your victory, you should do it."

"Yes, but you invited me. You made the date."

"Is this a date?"

"Isn't it?"

"Not unless I hit on you."

"Are you going to hit on me?"

"Do you want me too?"

"If it gets me out of paying the check, maybe."

He smiled. "Okay, I've got it this time. You take it next time."

"Is there going to be a next time?" She asked.

"That depends on how successful I am when hitting on you."

He paid and they stood up, heading for the door.

"Where are you parked?" He asked.

"A couple of blocks down. You?"

"In the back. The owner likes me. Do you want me to walk you to your car?"

"That would be pretty stupid. You can barely walk, you're parked right here and I'm blocks away."

"Yea, but I guess, as a gentleman, I should walk you to your car."

She laughed. "You're the farthest thing from a gentleman I've ever seen. Besides, I'm a cop. I have a gun. I should probably walk you to your car to make sure you're safe."

He couldn't help himself. He had to smile, his bright blue eyes looking into her cool hazel ones. She suddenly leaned over and kissed him on the mouth. She broke it almost immediately, but he reached out and pulled her back. This time, the kiss was longer, harder. He dropped his cane on the floor to put his arms around her back. She twined hers around his neck. They were almost the same height, so there was no strain for either of them. It lasted longer than either intended and if they hadn't been in a crowded bar, neither knew how long it would have gone on.

Finally, they broke apart. She reached down and picked up his cane, handing it to him. He took it while he continued to look into her eyes.

She broke the silence first. "I have to go. Next time's on me. I'll give you a call."

House didn't think about her all the time. Just when there was nothing to do or there wasn't a patient to think about. He saw her face in his head, her smile, her clear eyes. And he smiled and couldn't wait for the next time they got together. Even though it scared him to death.

Kate thought about him just as much. And was even more scared. But somehow she managed to call him a few days later.

"Where do you live?" She asked with no preamble when he answered the phone.

"Is this a stalker out to kill me or just a burglar after all the possessions that I don't have?" He said, even though he recognized her voice.

She did not address his comments. "If you're not working Friday night, I'll bring dinner and a video. That is, if you're interested."

His answer was to give her his address and tell her that seven would be good. "See you then," she said and hung up.

He was more excited than he thought he'd be. He left work early – well, earlier than he usually left. He even took a look around his place to see if it looked okay. Not that he wanted to actually clean, but he did pick up some trash and dust crumbs off the sofa. He thought about doing some more cleaning, but then thought, screw it. If he was going to have a relationship with this woman, she might as well get used to him the way he was.

That thought stopped him. Did he want a relationship with this woman? He wasn't sure, but he was intrigued enough to let things progress and see where it led.


	3. Chapter 3: Getting Closer

Thanks everyone for the positive reviews. Here's one more chapter, hopefully another soon. Keep the reviews coming, good or bad.

She was late. It was twenty after seven when he heard a knock. Why was he afraid she wouldn't come? When he opened the door, she didn't apologize for being late, she just walked in with a pizza box in one hand and a six pack of beer in the other. She was dressed casually, jeans and a light blue t-shirt with a suede jacket over it.

"That's dinner?" He asked incredulously. "At the very least it should have been Chinese."

"Hey, I'm only a cop. I don't make the money you doctors do."

"And where's the movie?"

"Right here, in my pocket. A new police action flick."

"Oh, please. Don't you get tired of that at work?"

"Did you want a medical drama?"

"No, I live that. I wanted porn."

She laughed. "In your dreams, buster."

"Actually, I prefer porn in real life, but dreams will do in a pinch."

She walked in, put the pizza and beer down on the table and looking around as she removed her jacket. She noted the haphazard way most of the things were arranged, saw the magazines and books scattered in the bookcase and the piano against the wall.

"Like what you see?" he asked.

"It's cleaner than I would have predicted."

"You a clean freak or something? Is your place a pristine palace?"

"God, no! I hate cleaning. Only do it when I can't walk through the place without being knee deep in crap."

She sat on the sofa and handed him the video. Then she opened the box and reached for a slice of pizza. "Crank it up. I'm starving and I had an annoying day."

"By annoying, do you mean the bad guys got away?"

"The bad guys don't get away when I'm on the job. At least, not most of the time"

"Please don't hold back, tell me, how good are you?"

"I'm damned good." She swallowed the last bite of pizza in her hand, as she looked at him. "And from what I hear, so are you."

He ignored her last comment and reached for his own slice of pizza as he asked, "What happens when you don't catch them?"

She stopped, glanced down, then said quietly, "I keep looking. I don't accept defeat easily. What do you do if you lose a patient?"

"Move on to the next one. I don't have the opportunity to keep looking. Dead is dead."

"Yea, it sure is. Except my dead usually come first. You have the chance to escape death for your people."

They sat in silence for a few moments, each contemplating the uncertainties of their jobs and the things they could not control. He moved first, reaching for the video.

"Time for some mind numbing escapism." He said, as he put it in the DVD player.

They finished the pizza and drank the beer as they watched the video. Both agreed it was terrible, but for different reasons. He liked the car chases, but she complained about the flawed police procedure being used. She was moved by the drama when the cop was wounded, but he shouted at the EMT's and doctors that treated the man.

"What kind of medicine is that? Do they want to just kill him outright? Putting a knife in his gut would be a more humane way to do it than what they're trying."

When the movie was over, she picked up the empty pizza box to dispose of it, figuring she should keep someone else's place neater than she kept her own, but he pulled her back to the sofa.

"Where are you going? He asked.

"Just getting rid of this trash."

"Leave it." He said as he pulled closer to her. Their lips met a second later. She gave in to the kiss, responding with more emotion than she thought she was capable of. He pulled her up to him, his arms going around her back and then moving up and down, feeling, caressing. She did the same, moving her hands to his hair and running them through it. He pulled her onto his lap and continued to kiss her, then moved his hands to the bottom of her shirt. He reached under it and caressed her bare skin. She moaned a little as he did so, but when he started to lift the shirt off her, she suddenly stopped and jumped up.

"What?" He said.

"I…I don't think this is a good idea."

"Well, I happen to think it's a great idea. Was I wrong in thinking that you're as attracted to me as I am to you?"

She hesitated, then said, "No, you're not wrong. I just don't think we should rush anything."

"Well, it is the third date. Isn't that the usual test for women?"

"How do you figure third? This is second, the bar was the first."

"No, when I asked you to come back to the hospital and met you there, that was the first."

"You didn't even buy me lunch then!"

"I got you something better – an interview with your witness. How many other guys you've dated would be that considerate?"

She laughed, the tension she had felt a few moments ago now gone. "You're something else. Look, I do like you and I think we will end up in bed together. But I need a little more time to process this. Is that okay?"

"Yea, that's okay."

"Your turn next. Give me a call next week, your choice."

"Really? So you enjoy strip clubs?"

She laughed again. "Sure, male strippers turn me on. I just didn't think you did. What a guy!"

She put on her jacket and headed for the door. He walked with her and stopped her as she was about to open it. He leaned in and kissed her again, not as much fire as before, but enough to let her know it was under the surface.

"Good night, Greg."

"Good night, Kate."


	4. Chapter 4: A Special Evening

Thanks for the good words. Hope everyone likes this chapter. I'll do my best to keep it up on a regular basis, but sometimes that tricky thing called life gets in the way...

House was sitting in Wilson's office and eating the oncologist's sandwich, when he looked up and said, "You know a lot about women. Or, you know a lot of women, I can never keep that straight."

"Is this a general insult or does it have a point?"

"Take a man and a woman…a _hypothetical_ man and woman. They're interested, attracted to each other. But even after some hot and heavy make-out sessions and admitting that she wants to sleep with him, she's holding back."

"Who is she? Someone actually is interested in you?"

"I told you, it's hypothetical. I'm doing research for a romance novel that I'm writing."

"Yea, okay. Well, is she normally sexually active?"

"The man would assume so, nothing said to the contrary."

"What kind of personality? Is she shy, outgoing, sweet, what?"

"Not shy. She's …strong, self-assured. Seems to know what she wants in life and goes for it."

"Maybe she just doesn't want him."

House shakes his head, not willing to accept that answer. "He thinks she is, she's almost said as much."

Wilson considered for a moment. "If she's a strong, self-assured woman, she may need to feel in control of the situation. She wants to decide when it's right, needs to know it's her choice, her doing. You should give her time, let her set the pace. Let her tell you when she's ready."

"Not me!" House shouted. "I told you, hypothetical!"

"Oh, sorry, I forgot."

House stood up and limped to the door. He opened it and went out. Just as he was moving away from it, he heard Wilson say quietly in a sing-song voice: "House has got a girlfriend."

His response was to look back at the other man with an angry glare and then yell out,

"HYPOTHETICAL!"

House called Kate to make a date for Saturday. She said, "Sure, should I come to your house or meet you somewhere?"

"How about if I pick you up?" he asked.

She hesitated. "That's not really a great idea. My place is a dump in a bad neighborhood and it's three flights up with no elevator. It's better if I meet you."

He filed the information away, then told her where and when to meet him.

She was waiting for him outside of the convention center when he arrived.

"An auto show?" She asked with a laugh.

"Sure, don't you like cars?" he said, holding out his arm for her to take.

"Why not?" She said as she took it and they walked in.

They had a better time than either of them would have supposed. Of course, they disagreed on which cars were best. He liked the flashy sports cars. She called them death traps, preferring the autos equipped with safety features.

"Vehicular accidents are on the rise. You're a doctor, you should realize that."

"I don't work in the ER and I don't care about anyone too stupid to know how to drive a sports car."

He really loved the motorcycles, of course. She was adamant that they were completely unsafe.

"Then I guess you won't be wanting a ride on my bike." He said smugly.

She looked at him, considering. "I'm not making any promises, but are you a good driver?"

"Of course. I follow all the traffic rules. I wouldn't want any of your colleagues to give me a ticket. Although, now that I know you, maybe I can get them fixed."

"No way, bud. You do the crime, you do the time."

They ate overcooked hot dogs, too salty popcorn, and greasy funnel cake and they had a wonderful time. The show was just about to close for the evening and they sat on a bench, after polishing off some sodas, talking about the people that walked by. She predicted what crimes they might be committing or about to commit. He diagnosed health problems that the people were probably not even aware.

Finally, he turned to look at her. "How about following me back to my place?"

She took a deep breath. "I don't know if I…"

He broke in, "We don't have to do anything. We can talk, play cribbage, paint the walls, anything you like." She didn't say anything. He added, "Look, I'm going home. You know where I live. You want to follow me, great. You don't, that's okay too. I'll see you next week." He got up and leaning on his cane, walked away from her. When he had gone a few feet, he turned back, gave her a small smile and a wave, then continued.

She wasn't coming. He had been home for almost forty minutes and she wasn't there. Wilson had probably been right, she wasn't that into him. He had the TV on just to fill the silence while he waited and started to reach for the remote to turn it off, when there was a knock on the door. He opened it to find her standing there.

"So should I get the cribbage board or cover the furniture?"

"Where's your bedroom?"

He motioned with his cane. Without another word, she took his hand and led him to the room he'd indicated.

Sometime later, House was awakened by movement beside him. Kate had gotten dressed and was pulling on her socks and shoes.

"Don't leave." He said.

"I have to go."

"Tomorrow – today – is Sunday. You don't have to work, do you?"

"No, but I have to go."

"Is something wrong?" He asked, afraid of the answer.

"No!" she said, almost too fast, then slower, "No, everything's great. This was… really great."

"Good. Then stay. I can be great again, I promise. I may need a little time to recover, I'm not as young as I used to be."

"I know, I can't explain. I just can't stay. Please understand."

"I don't." He paused. "But I won't stop you if you really want to leave."

She looked for a moment as though she really didn't, but she swallowed hard and rose, grabbing her jacket as she did. She leaned over and kissed him.

"I really want to do this again, okay?"

"Anytime. Always happy to assist a lady."

She smiled and left the room. A few seconds later, he heard the front door open and close. He laid back. He had a feeling he wasn't going to sleep much tonight.


	5. Chapter 5: Questions

They got together again the next weekend and several more weekends after that. They either went out somewhere or stayed in at House's, watching videos or playing cards or anything they felt like. They always ended up in bed and Kate always left when they were finished.

House wondered about it. But he loved a mystery and he was determined to figure this one out. His first supposition was that she was married and needed to get home to her husband. He didn't like that idea, but had to pursue it. So he started to call her at odd hours, sometimes late at night. He either got her or an answering machine. The message on the machine was her voice only.

He managed to sneak her address out of her and checked it out one day. She wasn't lying when she told him it was in a bad neighborhood. He couldn't imagine a woman alone living there. But then again, she did carry a gun. The apartment was the third floor above a store. Apparently there were two apartments on that floor and judging by the size of the building, neither could have been very big, really just efficiencies. He attempted to go up to snoop around, but the three flights of stairs put him off. Instead, he went into the little grocery store on the first floor.

He had seen an "apartment for rent" sign on the building next door. He approached the man at the grimy counter.

"Hi, my daughter is looking for a cheap apartment and I saw the sign next door. I wanted to check out the neighborhood a little. Can you tell me who lives in this building?"

"It's a crappy neighborhood." He said. "I wouldn't let my daughter live here. But I own this building, so I can tell you these people are okay. I live on the second floor, alone. The third floor's got two tenants. Front's a guy, back's a woman, both living alone."

"Hmm, single people. Are there lots of visitors? I don't want her in a place where there would be drunken parties all the time."

"Nah, guy's pretty much a geek, does some computer work at home, barely goes out. But okay enough when he does. Pays the rent on time. Lady's a cop, which is good for me, cause nobody messes with my place. She's not home a lot. Works long hours, comes home and goes right in and stays in. No visitors. Though I think she's got a boyfriend lately. Been going out on weekends and coming back late."

"Any chance she's getting it on with your other tenant?"

"Nah, she barely tolerates him. He's not the sharpest tool in the box, if you get my drift. She's too smart for him."

"Wow, you really keep an eye on your tenants."

"Nothing else to do. I'm in here eighteen hours a day. I like to watch the people who come by and who live here."

House found out all he needed at the moment. She wasn't married and didn't seem to have any other relationships, other than him.

House consulted Wilson again: "Remember that _hypothetical_ couple we talked about? They, uh, have some other issues."

Wilson smirked. "Right, the hypothetical man that was trying to sleep with the hypothetical woman, right. If he still hasn't scored, you're, uh, he's more rusty that I thought."

House glared at him. "That's not the problem. They've done the deed, many times. And she's been extremely happy about it. But …" he hesitated.

Wilson looked at him, a question in his eyes. "But…? He's discovered he doesn't like women? He realizes he's too old and cranky to ever completely satisfy a woman? What?"

"Please, this is not a discussion of your inadequacies with the opposite sex." House said. "No, the man's problem is that she's detached from it. They spend time together, they enjoy themselves, they go to bed and again, enjoy themselves. But as soon as it's over, she gets up and leaves."

Wilson considered for a moment. "Maybe she's married."

"No, I've thought of that and checked it out. That's not the issue." He was thinking about Kate and didn't realize he'd used first person.

Wilson caught the slip and smirked again. "Well, if they're getting along well in every other aspect, maybe she just has commitment issues. Staying the night means admitting it's a relationship and maybe all she wants is casual sex."

House considered that. It made sense, and as a man, he should have been content. What man didn't want a woman who only wanted companionship and sex, but no commitment? It was a dream come true. But somehow, it didn't make him happy. Something bothered him about that answer. He didn't quite believe it was the whole story and even if it was, he didn't want it to be. And that was something that bothered him even more.

The next time they were supposed to get together, House had a difficult case that kept him at the hospital. He had to call Kate to cancel. He thought about trying to see her during the week, but so far, they hadn't done that and she hadn't indicated she wanted to. Thinking about Wilson's advice, he held back on asking her, afraid of her answer. He didn't want to know that she didn't want to see him more often. So, he didn't ask her out, although he talked to her on the phone when the case was done. They made plans for the following Saturday.

But when Saturday arrived, he got a call from her instead. This time she had a case and had to work all weekend to try to catch a murderer. He was more disappointed than he ever imagined he would be and spent Saturday night missing her. He didn't know if that was good or bad.

Knowing she was busy with the case and that she would call him when it was finished, he didn't try to contact her. But it had been almost three weeks since he'd seen her and he missed her.

He was with his team discussing some follow-up to a case that needed to be done. He was just browbeating the younger doctors into doing it, when the phone rang. He ignored it as he always did, but Cameron picked it up. She turned to him.

"House, it's ER. They want you down there."

"I never go to ER unless I'm bleeding."

"Apparently there's a patient that's requesting you."

"What's wrong with the doctors there? Can't they take care of their patients without bothering me? Tell them to bandage anything that needs bandaging and leave me alone."

The person on the other end obviously heard House and said something else to Cameron.

She listened, then said to him, "They've tried, but she won't allow them to treat her unless you come down. And her injuries are pretty extensive." She listened again. "Okay. They said to tell you her name is Kate Martin."

The color drained from House's face, as he turned and headed out the door, walking as quickly as he could with his leg. His team, confused, did what they usually did and followed him.

I promise not to leave this hanging and will update soon. Thanks for all the encouraging words.


	6. Chapter 6: Emergency

Author's note: I apologize in advance for any medical mistakes in this or the next chapter. As stated before, I am not a doctor, nor in any way related to medicine. This is a relationship story, the injuries here are for dramatic purpose only. So please have patience with the semi-medicine. Thanks again for the positive reviews.

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There was so much blood. As a doctor, he was certainly used to blood and it had never bothered him before. But this was a woman he held in his arms and that he, well, he could admit it, that he cared about.

House wondered how she hadn't passed out. But she was fighting with the doctors and nurses that were trying and failing to tend to her injuries. She sounded weak. He had never heard her sound like that before. He moved into the exam room as fast as his bum leg would take him and up to her bed. The doctor there looked relieved to see him.

"House, she won't let us touch her."

House barely acknowledged the man's words. He looked at the woman covered in blood. "Kate." He said in a quiet voice.

"Don't let them touch me, Greg. Please. You know how I hate hospitals."

"I won't let them do anything unless you say it's okay. But I need to know what happened."

"The S.O.B. shot me. And then I fell off the damn fire escape. And when I was trying to get up to go after him, he shot me again! When I get my hands on that…"

House had to laugh in spite of the worry he was feeling. But then he tried to concentrate on her injuries. "Where were you shot?"

"He got my shoulder, I think. At least that's where I feel the pain. There and my arm."

The ER doctor chimed in. "She also may have broken her other arm or wrist when she fell."

"How high up was the fire escape?" House asked.

"Third floor." Kate answered.

"And you tried to keep pursuing him after falling three floors and being shot? Tell me, where did you leave your superhero cape?"

"I've been shot before and kept going. I would have gotten him if he hadn't shot me in my right arm. I'm almost as good a shot with my left hand. But then, when I fell, I messed up something in my left, so I couldn't use either."

House asked for her chart and saw that she had refused to let them either look at the wounds or even give her something for the pain. He knew that right now she was probably floating on the adrenaline of the situation, but pretty soon that would be dying down and the pain would be horrendous. Dealing with constant pain himself, he didn't want to see someone he cared about have to deal with it.

"Kate, will you let me look at the injuries? And let my team help me?" He knew instinctively that they had followed him.

"Yes." was her weak reply.

House motioned for Cameron to approach. "This is Dr. Cameron. She's going to help me check you out." He knew that Cameron was gentle enough to hopefully gain Kate's trust. He examined the bullet wounds first. One was in the shoulder, the other in her upper arm. The shoulder bullet was still there and would need to be removed. The other had gone straight through her arm. The wound would still need to be cleaned and stitched. Next he examined her other arm. The wrist was indeed broken, as well as the three of her fingers. They would all need to be set. A quick exam of the rest of her body showed some contusions, but no other broken bones.

"Okay, Kate, here's what needs to be done." He explained all the procedures that she would need.

"Can you do it?" she asked.

"I'm not a surgeon. You need a surgeon to do it."

Panic started to rise in her eyes. He added quickly, "I can get you the best surgeon we have here, one that I trust. And I will stay in the operating room with you the whole time."

"You promise you won't leave?"

"I promise I won't leave."

She looked into his deep blue eyes and she saw truth in them. He wasn't lying to her, wasn't saying what she wanted to hear. He would do exactly what he said.

"Okay."

"Good. Now Dr. Cameron's going to give you something for the pain."

"No! I don't even have any pain. I don't want…"

"You will be feeling pain very soon. Take it from me, you don't want to. It'll make you sleep and you'll be out for the operation. No," he said as he saw her starting to protest again, "we can't do it if you're not asleep. You'll move and mess up everything. You said you trusted me?"

"I do trust you."

"Then shut up and do what I say."

She nodded and he signaled for Cameron to give her the medication. She started to drift off almost immediately, but before she did, she reached for House's hand and said, "Don't leave me."

"I won't." He promised.

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Gossip spreads quickly in a hospital like Princeton-Plainsboro. Before long, everyone was saying how a friend of House's had come into ER and he had rushed down there. Since most people assumed the only friend he had was Wilson, some thought the other doctor was the one in ER. But when he was seen in his office, the word got to him as well. He searched and found House's team on the observation deck above an operating room. He didn't see House there.

"What's going on?"

Foreman motioned down to the OR. "Friend of House's. Came in with two gunshot wounds and some broken bones."

Wilson looked around the room again. "So, where's House?"

Chase answered this time. "Down there."

Wilson looked at the operation and to his surprise, saw a doctor standing near the patient and not doing any work. He was wearing full scrubs and mask, which made it hard to make out his face. Then Wilson saw the cane he was leaning on.

"House is in the operating room?"

"He promised her he wouldn't leave her, so he's there. Believe me, the surgeon is not happy. House keeps offering advice." Cameron said.

Wilson felt like he was full of questions. "Who's the patient?"

"A cop. Her name is Kate Martin. She was shot in the line of duty. She refused to be treated until House came down. And he was really upset when he heard she was injured."

It clicked for Wilson. "Okay, she must be his girlfriend."

Three pairs of eyes looked at him incredulously. Chase was the first to speak. "Girlfriend? House has a girlfriend?"

"He actually told you about her?" Foreman asked.

"Of course not, well, not in so many words. But he hinted and asked some questions. I can put two and two together."

Cameron looked at the operation again, then back at Wilson. "I think he really cares about her. I've never seen him be so…kind and considerate with anyone before."

"Then let's hope she makes it. Or I doubt we're gonna see much kindness out of him in the future." Foreman observed.

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House was thinking along the same lines. He knew Kate's injuries weren't too serious, but she had lost a lot of blood and anytime you opened someone up, there was always a chance something could go wrong. There were other things to consider as well, but he was concentrating on the operation. He wasn't sure what he'd do, how he'd feel, if she didn't make it. Every time the thought entered his head, he shooed it away and tried to think about other things. Like what was taking this damn surgeon so long to get a bullet out.

"Remind me not to take you hunting with me if you can't figure out where a shot would go."

"House, if you don't shut up, I am having you removed from this operating room. The only reason I haven't already, is that the patient is, for some ungodly reason, a friend of yours and wants you here. But if you don't let me do my job and SHUT YOUR MOUTH…"

"Bully." House said, almost whispering it, but then kept quiet. He knew they were doing their best. He just hated having to wait for other people to do things. He wanted to get in there and look for the bullet himself. He wanted the operation to be over. He wanted to turn back the clock so that this had never happened.

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	7. Chapter 7: Aftermath

Chapter 7

Kate felt like a heavy weight was on her chest. Her mouth was dry. She tried to find her voice, but couldn't. Her whole body seemed to be in pain. Then she realized that someone was holding her hand. The other person's palm was large and warm. It felt good, the only part of her that felt good. Slowly she opened her eyes. And saw Greg House's bright blue ones looking straight at her. Well, maybe not really bright, they seemed a little bloodshot, as if he hadn't gotten any sleep in a while, but still a brilliant blue and a wonderfully welcome sight.

"Well," House said, "You finally decided to wake from your little nap."

She tried again to speak, but her mouth still felt dry and thick.

"Don't try to talk yet." He saw the questions in her eyes. "You've been out for almost two days. But you're gonna be okay. They got the bullet out." Eventually, he thought, remembering the frustrating operation. "You're still on pain med, so you're going to be groggy for a few days."

She continued to look at him. He knew he couldn't lie to her. She needed to know the extent of her injuries.

He sighed. "You will be okay. But not right away. You were shot twice and after that shoulder and arm heal, you're going to need physical therapy to gain back strength. That's 3 to 5 weeks with it immobile and another 6 at least in therapy."

She didn't look happy. He knew his next words weren't going to change that. "When you fell off the fire escape, you broke your wrist and three fingers. They will be in casts for 4 to 6 weeks as well."

That wasn't the worst and he could tell she saw it in his eyes. She wordlessly asked him to continue. "Okay, because of the casts and bandages, you have function of your right hand, however, at the moment it's immobilized in order to keep your shoulder that way. So you really can't do anything with your right arm. And on the left, you have your thumb and forefinger uninjured. But the good news is you should still be able to dance."

He could see the joke fell flat. "You need to rest. Now that you're back in the real world, I need to go. I'll be back," he said as she started to look anxious. "God, woman, you can't have my body all the time."

She tried to smile at that. He leaned over and kissed her on the forehead and left the room.

It was only once he was outside that he let the worry and relief both show on his face. He leaned a little harder on his cane as he limped to the nurse's station. Sleeping in a chair next to her bed for the last two nights did nothing to help his leg. He reached in his pocket for his Vicodin. As he slid two pills into his mouth, he told the nurse that Kate was awake and to get her some ice chips.

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Three days later.

House was approaching Kate's room, when he saw a tall man sitting beside her bed, touching her uninjured shoulder. He quickened his pace and entered the room with a scowl on his face. Kate looked up at him and hid a smile when she saw the scowl.

"Greg, this is Paul Rogers, my lieutenant at the precinct. Paul, this is Dr. Greg House." Kate said.

Paul smiled broadly. "Thank you, doctor, for taking care of our Kate. We wouldn't want to lose her. She's very important to the department."

"Then maybe you shouldn't send her out on her own against dangerous guys with guns."

"Greg." Kate warned. "Paul was just letting me know that my job is waiting when my injuries are healed."

"When will that be, doctor? It would be nice to know when we can expect our Kate back."

House looked at the man standing there. He was at least five years younger than House, tall and well-built. He didn't seem to have any physical problems. He was as fit as Kate was, or as she normally was. He answered in a surly voice, "It'll be months before she's healed and able to go back to work. She's got a long way to go."

Kate's face dropped. Paul stammered, "Of course, of course. I know you can't rush anything like this. We all just want her to get better."

"Well, she'll get better quicker if you leave so that I can change her bandages."

Paul looked a little confused, then said, "Sure, I need to get back to work anyway. Kate, you take care and I'll be back to see you soon." Then he leaned over and gave her a quick kiss on her cheek before leaving the room.

Once he was gone, House and Kate glared at each other.

"How could you be so rude to him? That's my boss. You may not care what your boss thinks of you, but I care about mine." She said.

"Yea, I can see how much you care about him. Do you play kissy face with all your colleagues or just those who can get you promotions?"

She stared at him in shock. "That was totally uncalled for. You are essentially calling me a whore and I don't like it."

"Are you going to deny there's something between you."

"Yes, I mean, no." she flustered. "I mean, there used to be, a long time ago. Almost

four years ago now. We dated for a time. But there was no spark. And now that he's my boss, he's off limits. I don't do that."

House was silent for a moment. "No spark, huh?" Kate shook her head. "How about with us? Any sparks?"

"What do you think?"

He didn't answer, just lowered himself into the chair. "I didn't mean to act like an ass in front of your boss."

"I know, it just comes naturally to you."

He hid a smile, then sighed. "Kate, you'll be ready to be released in a few days."

"Oh, that's good. I hate being in the hospital and I really want to go home."

"You can't go home." House said. "You can't take care of yourself."

"Of course I can, I have good experience taking care of myself."

"Not in this condition you don't."

"That's ridiculous. Of course, I know I'll be a little slower, I'll need to be careful, I got that."

House picked up the TV remote and threw it on her bed. "Turn on the TV. Watch something."

She looked at him, perplexed. Then she tried to reach the remote. She finally was able to push it with her left thumb and forefinger towards her right hand. She kept pushing it slowly until she had it in the right position, then she reached out with the fingers of her right hand and tried to push the button. She winced as pain shot up her arm. So she moved it towards the left hand. With the thumb and forefinger, she tried to hold and reach the buttons, but it kept slipping and she couldn't grasp it. Finally she flicked it away.

"So I won't watch TV. No great loss."

"That's not the only thing you won't be doing. Like to eat?"

"Of course."

He nodded. "How do plan on cooking it?"

"I'll get frozen things that I can put in the microwave."

House pulled a pen out of his pocket. "Pretend this is a fork. Show me how you eat."

He put the pen into her right hand. She tried to lift the pen to her mouth, but her arm was pinned to her chest. She couldn't reach her mouth and her arm started to hurt again with the effort of trying to maneuver it around. She moved the pen to her left hand, but couldn't do much with only the thumb and forefinger.

She dropped the pen and said, "I'll go on a liquid diet and eat through a straw."

"Mmm, sounds yummy. Well, I'd watch how much of that liquid you have. Because there's another basic bodily function that's going to suffer. Ever try to go to the bathroom without using your hands?"

Kate opened her mouth to answer him, then closed it again as that scene played out in her head.

"You know, it's a good thing I won't be visiting you. Between the bathroom thing and also, not being able to bathe yourself, it's gonna get pretty ripe in that apartment."

"What do you mean you won't visit?"

"Three flights up, no elevator, remember?" He said, patting his right thigh as he did.

Suddenly Kate looked so forlorn he thought she was going to cry. Since this was a woman who didn't cry easily, he realized she was ready to face the facts.

"Okay, here's your choices: You can go to an extended care facility, basically another hospital, but one that takes care of you while you recuperate."

She started shaking her head. "No, please, I hate hospitals. I'll go nuts if I have to spend that much time in one."

"Okay, next choice: You get home health care. More expensive, but you stay in your apartment and nurses come to you to take care of all your needs."

She paused, then said, "No nurse is going to want to come there. It's a crappy neighborhood and, like you said, three flights up, no elevator." She sighed heavily. "I don't know what to do."

House tapped his cane a few times on the floor while Kate pondered the situation. They sat like that for some minutes. Finally, he said, "I've got one more option for you. You stay with me."

Kate looked at him, wonderment on her face. "Stay with you?"

"I know the thought of actually sleeping at my place, not going home, is probably like facing the fires of hell, but it makes sense."

"I don't…I can't…" She looked totally confused.

"You would still need a nurse doing the day while I was working, but at night I would be there. And I'm at least as qualified as a nurse. I could get a hospital bed brought in."

She stared at him. "I wouldn't be sleeping with you?"

"No way. You find cripples a turn on, but not me! Yuck." When she continued to stare at him, he sighed. "You're not going to be able to turn over for a while. Laying in one position all night will kill your back. At least with a hospital bed, you can move it up and down and sleep some at night."

She concentrated for a minute. "Where would you put the bed?"

"There's a spare room. There's nothing in it at the moment, just some boxes I never bothered to unpack. We'll set you up in there."

She thought about it for another minute or two. "Alright, that will work. I don't want to put you out and I don't intend for you to be bathing me or wiping my…anyway, get the nurse to do those things. Whatever my health care doesn't cover, I'll find a way to pay for."

"Good." He said, getting up. "I'll send Cameron in here. Give her your key and a list of what you need from your apartment. She and Chase can go there and get your stuff and we can see how soon you'll be released."

With those words, he left her room. Kate lay back against her pillows, wondering why in the world she just agreed to move in with House. How would she ever be able to…well, she would find a way. She really had no other choice. And despite everything, she liked the idea of living with him, even under the circumstances.

House liked the idea too, although it scared him to death. He hadn't shared his space with a woman since Stacey. Yea, he thought, and look how that turned out. Still, Kate needed him and it was a strange feeling to have someone he cared about actually need him. Maybe it would be okay.


	8. Chapter 8: Secrets

Chapter 8

Kate found it hard to believe that everything had happened so quickly. Before she could barely speak, Cameron made a list of everything she needed from her apartment and with key in hand, went with Chase to get them for her. In the next moment, it seemed, she was being released from the hospital and in House's car, heading to his apartment.

True to his word, he had installed a hospital bed in the spare room. He had said there were boxes there, but he had obviously had them removed somewhere. Her clothes and personal items were set up in the room. Someone had put her clothes in a small dresser that looked suspiciously new. There was a mirror above it, and her brush, comb, deodorant, etc., were all placed there. When she saw all the things, she turned to House, with thanks in her eyes.

"Don't look at me," he said gruffly. "Cameron probably set everything up. Come on, time to eat. And since I have to feed you for awhile, don't keep me waiting. You're eating first."

She knew he wouldn't admit it even if he had done it, so she just said, "I don't have to, you can eat first."

"Right. And watch you sit there drooling while I eat. No thanks."

As he fed her, he told her what the schedule would be for her care. "I'll get you up in the morning, feed you breakfast, etc. before I go to work. A nurse will come by late morning, take care of anything you need, change bandages and so on and she'll feed you lunch. Another one will come by late afternoon to do the same, except for giving you dinner instead of lunch."

"Why aren't I eating with you?"

"Because we usually both can't eat at the same time. Also, I'm never quite sure what time I'll get home. If I have a case, I might be late. I don't want to have to worry that you're here starving to death or something. Better this way."

"How uncharacteristically thoughtful of you."

"I'm also hungry when I get home. If I have to feed you first, it's that much longer before I get to eat. I don't like to wait."

"Well, when you put it that way…" Kate smiled, knowing that he would never admit he was being kind.

"I'll get you to bed at night. Try not to wake me once I'm asleep."

Kate walked to the window, keeping her face turned from him. "I'll try to compose myself." She said quietly.

House figured he went a step too far. "Don't worry about it. Whatever you need, you call me. I'll hear you."

Kate looked at him quickly. "You won't be able to hear me from your room. There's a long hallway between us."

He pointed his cane towards something on the little table next to the bed. "A monitor. Just keep it turned on and I'll hear you."

She turned away from him again. "Looks like you have everything worked out."

"Yep. Well, you get yourself settled in and come on and eat when you're done." He left her alone. Kate looked out the window again and sighed.

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One week later.

"She's not sleeping." House told Wilson. "At least not at night."

"How do you know that for sure? Do you stay awake all night?"

"No, but she's not taking her pain medication at night. I noticed her slipping one out of her mouth. But the nurse told me she's taking it during the day. She doesn't want to be sleepy at night. Plus the pain is probably keeping her awake. So she's sleeping or at least napping during the day to stay awake all night."

"How can she not sleep all night, every night?"

"I don't know. But I realized yesterday that she's turning off the monitor after I leave her at night. So I can't hear what's going on in her room. And when I checked, she pretended to be asleep."

"You're sure she was pretending?"

House gave him a withering look. "I think I've been a doctor long enough to know when someone is faking sleep. But if all else fails, I just have to look in her eyes. I can tell there that she's not sleeping."

"That makes no sense." Wilson said.

'I know that makes no sense!" House shouted. "That's why I'm telling you about it."

Wilson just stared at him for a moment. Finally he said, "House, you have to talk to her. Ask her what's up. Why won't she sleep? Why did she never stay with you before? There has to be a reason and only she knows what it is. Ask her."

House sighed. "She's not going to tell me. She's obviously been hiding whatever it is from me for a reason. And remember, everybody lies."

Wilson looked at him strangely. "You really believe that this woman you care about would just lie to you?"

"She has been lying to me by not telling me." He hesitated. "And who says I care about her?"

"You almost never left her side when she was in the hospital, you took her into your home, you're taking care of her, you're worried about her. Your actions speak for themselves."

House just glared at him and started walking away.

Wilson shook his head and called after him. "There's nothing wrong with being in love with her."

House stopped, turned his head to look at him, then continued walking. But the look that he gave his friend held anger and pain.

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That evening, after House had eaten his dinner, he joined Kate in the living room where she was watching TV.

"Mind if I turn this off?" He asked.

"Go ahead. I'm so tired of watching it anyway."

He switched it off and moved to the piano. He sat down and started to play softly. She smiled.

"You've never played for me before. I'm honored. But what's the occasion?"

"Do I need an occasion to play?"

"No, but music is important to you and as I said, you haven't played for me yet."

"What makes you think it's important to me?"

"The first time I came here, I saw everything was pretty haphazard. Pretty much as it is now. Magazines and newspapers tossed on tables. Clothes just piled on the coat rack. A thin layer of dust everywhere. Even your books are almost thrown into the bookcase. But there was nothing messy or haphazard about the piano. No dust, not a thing thrown on it."

"You noticed all that?"

"When I investigate a murder, I need to get to know the victim. Whenever I go to a victim's house, I try to find what was most important to them. That's what a person will fight for, that's what they'll die for."

House continued to play softly. "Yea, that's how you do it. Find out what they care about and then find out what they're hiding."

Kate didn't say anything more. House kept playing and Kate just sat back and listened. The music was so lovely and she was relaxed. When he stopped, he walked over to the sofa and sat beside her. He pulled her close to him and gently kissed her, being careful of her injuries. She kissed him back, wishing she could put her arms around him.

"Kate, what is it you're hiding from me?"

She sat up. "Nothing. What makes you think I'm hiding something?"

"Just a feeling."

"Feelings aren't exactly your strongest assets."

'No, but instinct when it comes to a patient is."

"I didn't realize I was your patient."

"For the moment." Finally, he sighed and got shakily to his feet, then helped her up, saying, "Time for you to go to bed."

He helped her through her nightly routines, including handing her the pain med. He held a glass of water. He had filled the glass in the bathroom while she was in her room. She didn't see him add a fine powder to the water and stir it. He pretended to turn away when she took the medication, but out of the corner of his eye, he saw her remove the pill.

"Drink the whole glass of water, it helps the pill work."

"Sure." She said and drained the glass that he held to her lips. Then he helped get in bed. He kissed her lightly on the cheek, then turned off the light and left the room.

He went to the living room and turned off the light, then walked to his bedroom. But he didn't get into bed. He sat in the chair, in the dark and in silence for 45 minutes. Then, he rose quietly and made his way back to her room. He could hear her deep breathing. He turned on the light. She didn't stir. He crossed to the little table and turned on the monitor. Then he turned out the light, left the room and went to bed.

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He was awakened some hours later by a woman's voice. It was loud and agitated. He lay there for a moment, listening.

"No, no, don't do that, don't, please, don't." The voice was Kate's, but sounded younger, almost like a child's. "I couldn't, I can't, please, oh, please."

House pulled himself out of bed and ran to her room as quickly as he could. She was close to hysterical, but she was still asleep. He went to her and gently shook her until her eyes opened.

She looked dazedly around and saw him there. "What happened?"

"You were having a nightmare."

"I was asleep?" She sounded incredulous.

"That's usually when bad dreams happen. When you're awake, they're called hallucinations. Much worse too."

"No, oh, no. How did I…" She seemed to finally register that he was there and stopped. "What was I saying?"

"Telling someone to stop, couldn't make out too much. What was the dream about?"

"Nothing."

"Oh, right. I always scream and get hysterical over nothing. Well, sometimes I do, but that's just me. Come on, Kate, tell me what you're having nightmares about."

"I'm not having nightmares."

"Right." He looked at her with a stern expression.

"Alright, I had one bad dream. What makes you think I'm having nightmares?"

"Because this wasn't the first time. If it was, you would have told me what it was about. Since you didn't, I know it's happened before. You're used to denying it. Also, you've gone to a lot of trouble not to sleep around me."

"No, I haven't. I…"

"You've avoided taking your medication at night so that you won't sleep. And in case you do, you've been turning off the monitor."

She looked at the monitor on the table and saw the little green light was on. "What did you give me?"

"Just a mild sedative. Worked pretty quickly and let you sleep. I figured either whatever you're afraid would happen, either would happen and we'd deal with it or wouldn't happen, and you'd get a night's sleep. So since it's happened, let's deal with it."

"There's nothing to deal with, it's my problem."

He sat on the bed next to her. "Kate, I'm not a psychologist, far from it. But I'm your friend, I think, so I can at least listen to whatever's bothering you. Wilson is always telling me that friends do that type of stuff."

"Believe me, you don't want to hear it."

"Probably not, but tell me anyway."

"I said, it's my problem. I will deal with it."

"Yes, I can see how you deal with it. Been working real well for you so far."

"You won't be my friend anymore if I tell you."

"Give it a shot and we'll see."

Kate looked down at her injured wrist, then looked at him and said, "Give me some time to think about this."

He nodded. "Okay. Fair enough. But no avoiding your pain med. And get some sleep at night. You'll never heal otherwise."

"Okay."

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The next evening, while he was eating, she sat beside him.

"You're right about the nightmares. I've been having them for a long time. Since I was a kid."

"Didn't your parents do anything about them?"

"I never knew my father and my mother…died when I was eleven. Foster parents usually don't give a crap. Or else they think you're nuts and ship you back to the state home."

House just looked at her and waited for her to continue.

"You really want to hear my stupid life story?"

"Yes."

"Okay, here goes."

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Author's note: Sorry for the cliff hanger. I need to work out the telling of her story and how I want this to progress. It won't be long, I promise. But I wanted to get this part done and posted.


	9. Chapter 9: Revelations

Chapter 9

House sat quietly and waited for Kate to begin. This was her story and she needed to tell it in her way.

"I told you before that I never knew my father. He walked out on my mom before I was born. My mother was…nice."

"Ouch." House said.

"No, I don't mean it to sound…she was a good person, she loved me – I know that. She just didn't have much self-esteem. Maybe my dad leaving her contributed to it, maybe she was always like that and that's why she hooked up with a guy who would walk out on a pregnant woman, I don't know. But she believed she needed a man to take care of her. She didn't think she could survive otherwise. And she always picked awful losers, every one of them."

"Did she have any more kids?"

"No, only me. Maybe she couldn't after me? I don't know, I never had the chance to talk to her about it. Anyway, the last of my 'stepfathers' as she called them, although none of them married her, came into our lives when I was about nine. He was the usual self-absorbed bastard, drank too much, treated her like shit." Kate shrugged. "Nothing I hadn't seen before. But when I was ten, he started to take notice of me. And not just as a kid who could run to the store for cigarettes or get him a beer from the fridge."

House knew what was coming next, but realized she needed to say the words to him.

"Classic story. My mom worked nights. He started coming to my room at night. I tried to fight him off, but he was stronger and, of course, he threatened me if I told anyone."

"Kate…" House began.

"That's not the worst part of the story. One night, my mom came home early. They'd had a power outage in the restaurant where she worked and it had to close. When she found him with me, she freaked. I told you, she did love me. She had tried to be the best mom she could. She really had no idea he was doing this. She started hitting him and pulling him away from me. She was screaming at him. He just reached out and slugged her."

Kate stopped and took a deep breath. "She fell and was trying to get up again and he got to his knees and started to strangle her. And then…" Kate hesitated again, then said, "He killed her."

House was silent for a few moments. "So you saw this asshole kill your mother and that's the source of your nightmares?"

Kate nodded.

"Well, thank you for telling me. I know it had to be hard to say it, especially if you're still feeling trauma over it."

Kate nodded again.

"And when you're ready to tell me the rest of it, I'll be ready to listen."

Kate looked at him. "What are you talking about? I just told you…"

"You told me part of the story. But there's something else there. You're not ready to say it and I can respect that. So if you want to hold on to it, fine. I'll be here when you're ready."

He walked into the other room and sat down at the piano. She heard him begin to play softly. She felt the tears begin to well in her eyes. Damn it, she never cried. She couldn't begin now. She wouldn't.

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Kate tried to keep to herself during the next few days. Apart from the times House had to help her with dressing or eating, etc., she tried to avoid being near him. It frustrated him, but he knew she needed space and time to come to terms with whatever was on her mind. He hated being hounded about something and he refused to do it to her.

That didn't stop him from doing some research on his own. He went on the internet and looked up news stories. Since Kate was 35, her mother's death had occurred 24 years ago. He also knew she'd lived in Philadelphia as a child. He assumed a violent death would have at least made the newspapers, even in a large city.

It took him some time to research, but eventually he found the story:

A woman was killed after attacking her boyfriend in their West Philadelphia

apartment last night. Roberta Martin, 29 apparently found Stan Towson, 40,

attacking her daughter, Katherine, 11. Martin struck the man with a blunt object

before he fought back and strangled Martin. After strangling his girlfriend,

Towson fell and succumbed to the blow, dying instantly. The child, witness

to these events, is now in protective custody while authorities search for relatives.

Kate hadn't told him about Towson dying at the scene as well. Other than that, the incident seemed to be just as she had said. But as he sat there and thought about what he had just read, he realized what she was hiding from him.

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Kate continued to try to avoid House as much as she could. She had use of her right arm now and the cast was going to be removed from her fingers in a few days. Although she would still have the wrist cast for another two weeks and needed to do extensive physical therapy on her right arm, she would not be as incapacitated as she was. House knew she would choose to return to her home and he would never see her again.

His fears were confirmed the night before the first casts were to be removed, when she told him she would be leaving.

"You don't have to." He said to her.

"Yes, I do. You don't really want me here."

"What makes you think that?"

"You don't believe me. You don't believe what I told you."

"I believe what you told me. You just didn't tell me the real reason you're having your nightmares."

"Really? So seeing my mother murdered isn't enough?"

"It might be, if that's all that happened. But it's not. You're having nightmares because you killed the man who murdered your mother."

Kate was totally speechless. House waited while she struggled to talk. When she did, she was almost incoherent. "How…what…why would you say that?"

"Because that's what happened. I read the newspaper article. It couldn't have happened that way. Your mother hit him on the head with a blunt object, a blow that killed him a few minutes later, but, in the meantime, he had enough strength to not only hit her, but strangle her. Couldn't happen. He might have hit her, but to strangle her? And then fall over and die." House shook his head. "This is what happened: Just as you said, your mother found him with you. He hit her, strangled her. You picked up something and hit him with it."

Kate was staring at him, still in shock. Then, with tears starting, she bowed her head. In a small voice she said, "My soccer trophy. I had just gotten it the week before and it was on my night table because I was so proud of it. I've never liked soccer since then."

House just looked at her. "The cops knew what happened, but they protected you because you were just a kid. That's why you looked up to cops, why you wanted to be one when you grew up. They were the only good guys you knew."

"Officer Gallagher. Neighbors heard the screaming, called the cops, and he was the first one to arrive. I was curled up in a corner, crying. I still had the trophy in my hand. He was experienced enough to figure out what happened. He was also a father and didn't want to see me go through what he knew I would have to go through. He took the trophy from me and put it in my mother's hand. Then he called for backup."

"Nobody questioned that explanation because Towson was such a bastard. It was obvious he had raped you and killed your mother. No need for a kid to suffer for that."

Kate wiped her eyes, swallowing back the rest of her tears. "Okay, so now you know what a mess I really am."

"No more of a mess than the rest of us."

Kate gave a bitter laugh. "I'm a murderer. If it was revealed, I could go to jail."

House tapped his cane a few times on the floor. "You or any of your cop friends ever kill someone?"

"Of course they have. When I was still in uniform, my partner killed a drug dealer that was about to shoot me."

"Wow, how long did your partner stay in jail for that?"

"He didn't go to jail, it was in the line of duty."

"Oh, because the bad guy was trying to kill you."

"I see where you're going. He was trying to kill my mom, so I was just saving her. It's not the same thing."

"No, it's not the same. But's it's also not your fault. No jury would ever have convicted you. First of all, you were a kid. A kid who had been raped continually by this guy. At the time that you hit him, did you know your mom was dead?"

"No."

"Right. So you thought that if you stopped him, you could save your mother. Sounds like defense of a loved one to me."

"If that's so easy, why do I still have nightmares about it?" she demanded, her voice rising.

"First of all it's not easy, nothing is. But I bet your nightmares got worse once you became a cop, and especially when you became a homicide detective. Your sense of law and order's been compromised."

Kate thought about that for a few moments. "You may be right. But that doesn't change anything. I am what I am and you are what you are. There's no future for us. I'm still leaving tomorrow."

With those words, Kate left the room and went to bed.

House stood there looking at the floor for a long time. Finally, he went to the cupboard where he pulled out a bottle of scotch and a glass.


	10. Chapter 10: Confrontation

Chapter 10

Two months later.

"Why don't you call her?" Wilson asked House again. He had been asking that same question continuously since Kate had returned to her apartment.

"Call who?" House said, bouncing his ball on the floor and pretending he didn't know what Wilson was talking about.

"Stop that. You've been miserable…well, more miserable than usual since she left. Just call her, work it out."

"There's nothing to work out. She left, it's over."

"But you're in love with her."

House glared at him. "You're the one who keeps saying that. I'm not in love with anyone."

"Then why do you bite my head off? Why do you treat your team like crap?"

House threw the ball at the wall. "Maybe I just don't like you. Maybe they just get on my nerves. Maybe you all do with your inane and pointless questions." House sat up in his chair. "Maybe I just want everybody to leave me alone and stay the hell out of my private life."

Wilson shook his head and sighed. He'd been getting this reaction from his friend ever since Kate left. He knew that House was deeply hurt. He also knew that he would never admit it. "Look, why don't…"

House cut him off. "Why don't you just go back to your own office? Don't you have some dying kids to comfort?"

Wilson put up his hands. When it got to this point, there was no talking to the man. He walked out of House's office. House continued to glare at the office door after Wilson left. Then he turned his head to the window. The glare disappeared, replaced by sadness. It was the same sadness that was in his heart ever since she'd gone. It was easy for Wilson to tell him to call her. But he knew that even if he did, there was no way she'd want him back.

She'd said, "There's no future for us."

While he knew that at the moment she said it, she meant because of her past. But he also knew that the more she thought about it, the more she would realize that he wasn't worth her effort. What would a vital, strong woman like Kate want with someone like him?

After her revelations, he had hoped that she would call him and that they would try to rebuild their relationship. But when she didn't he realized she was glad to have a reason to get out of it. So while there was great sadness in his heart, he was resigned to the fact that it was over.

His team came in a few minutes later and he joined them in the conference room to discuss the progress of a patient. They were in the middle of the differential, when the door burst open. Four eyes looked up to see Kate walk in.

"You son of a bitch, what the hell did you do?" she yelled at House.

"You'll have to be more specific, I've done a lot of things. And I'm usually a son of a bitch." He responded, wondering what had brought her here today when he was just thinking about her. Not that he ever really stopped thinking about her.

"I never got any bills from the nursing service. So I called them and asked for my bills. And do you know what they said?"

"No, but I bet you're gonna tell me."

"They said that all my bills had been paid!"

'Wow, that's atrocious. I'd never let them get away with saying that." House said, turning away from her.

"I told them I hadn't paid them, so how could they be paid. And then, you know what they told me?"

"Again, I don't need to, because I sense I'm about to hear it."

"They told me they were paid by Dr. House!"

"Well, I can understand why you're angry. I would be pissed to have my bills paid. Or wait, would I?"

"What right have you to pay my bills? I'm a grown woman, I have a job. I can pay my own goddamn nursing bills!" Kate was really yelling now.

House did some yelling of his own. "You're a cop, you make peanuts. I paid the goddamn nursing bills. Get over it."

House's team were watching with fascinated eyes at the encounter.

Kate was full of rage. "Why the hell would you pay my bills?"

"Because I'm in love with you!" House shouted.

"Yea, well, I'm in love with you too!" Kate shouted back.

"Well, okay." House shouted.

"Yea, okay." Kate shouted.

They both stood there for as moment, then Kate turned and left the room.

House continued to stand where he was, watching her go.

His team all started to speak at once:

Foreman: "What the hell are you doing?"

Chase: "Don't just stand there."

Cameron: "House, go after her!"

House looked at them and turned his head, not sure what to do next. He started limping towards the door, as fast as he could with his leg. At that moment, Kate appeared and entered the room again.

They both stopped and stared at each other.

"Do you mean I?" she asked.

"Yea. You?"

"Yea."

He limped towards her and she matched the distance until they were face to face. He reached for her and she fell into his arms. Their kiss was long and heartfelt. After a minute or two, his team started clapping with Foreman and Chase hooting. Cameron's eyes were filling with tears.

Wilson had been padding the office and had heard the yelling. When he came in and saw the couple in each other's arms, he smiled. Maybe, just maybe, his friend would now find a way to be happy.

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A/N: Okay, not a real long chapter, but I didn't want to leave House in misery for too long. This isn't the end. After 20 years of marriage, I know that happy endings aren't guaranteed once you say I love you. So there will be more.


	11. Chapter 11: Thoughts and Decisions

House sat at the piano, waiting. He'd been waiting for hours. After their very public reunion in the hospital, both House and Kate had to return to work. But she promised to come to his place after she was done. So he had come home anxiously anticipating her arrival. However, now it was after eleven and she still wasn't there.

He wasn't really surprised. He hadn't expected her to show up that day as she did and so he had reacted for the first time in his life without thinking. Telling her he loved her right there in front of his team! He still couldn't believe he'd done that. Then, on top of that, kissing her in front of them! And Wilson! He was embarrassed even now when he thought about it. Especially now, since he realized that Kate must have had second thoughts about the whole thing. She had probably been caught up in the emotions of the moment. But after thinking about it, she must have known it was a mistake.

So why was he still sitting at the piano, waiting for someone who was not going to come. He should just get up and go to bed. But he couldn't seem to make himself rise. So he continued to play softly, a sad song to match his mood. The same mood he'd been in for the past few months.

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Kate swore out loud. If one more thing kept her in the precinct office, she was going to do some serious damage to someone really quick. She'd been trying to get out of there for hours, but something always stopped her.

It had taken a lot of courage to go to Princeton-Plainsboro that day. Hell, facing an armed assailant was easier than facing Dr. Gregory House after all they'd been through. But after the visit, she felt happier than she had in months. He loved her! It wouldn't be easy, but maybe from there they could build something. Not having much experience with relationships, she wasn't quite sure what, but she was willing to try.

When she'd returned to work, she'd picked up a homicide. It had seemed pretty routine, but it involved a lot of phone calls and a lot of paperwork. And when the phone calls didn't pan out on the first call, the paperwork got delayed. And her lieutenant wanted the report on his desk before the end of the day.

At nine o'clock, she had tried calling House, but got his answering machine with its sarcastic message. Even though she knew he never answered the phone, she was embarrassed to leave a message. If he'd changed his mind or thought better of what had happened that day, he might be trying to avoid her and she didn't want to make a fool of herself.

So now it was eleven and she was just about done. But as she completed the last of the paperwork, she worried about what she should do. Should she go to his place? If he was trying to avoid her, he might pretend to not be home, but he would still know she'd been there and she'd be really embarrassed. If he did open the door, there might be that awkward silence, while he didn't quite look at her and she would be even more embarrassed.

Stop it, she told herself. He'd said he loved her. A man like Greg House didn't say that unless he meant it. He would want her to be there. She finished her work, picked up her stuff and left.

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House was trying to find one more good reason not to just go to bed and forget about the whole thing, when he heard something. He stopped playing and listened. Then he heard the tentative knock on his door. He wanted to run, he wanted to stay where he was. With heart thumping, he rose and picked up his cane.

When he opened the door and saw her there, his heart stopped for a moment, then started again. She was here, it would be okay.

"Sorry, I'm so late," Kate said. "I got held up at work."

"If you mean that literally, I hope you arrested him." House quipped, trying to hide his nerves with a joke.

She smiled. "Is it too late?"

"No," he said. "It could never be too late."

He stepped aside and she entered the room. She looked around briefly and saw the same clutter she remembered from her first visit there. "I see nothing's changed here."

"I got rid of the hospital bed. Of course, I did take several rides on it first. But it wasn't as much fun as I thought it would be."

They both stopped talking and looked at the floor. Both were unsure what to do next. Why had it been easier to admit their feelings in front of a room full of people than now when they were alone? Maybe because now it meant more.

Finally, Kate looked at him, at this man that she loved more than she had ever loved any man in her life. He stood there in front of her wearing a black t-shirt bearing the logo of some band she didn't even know, faded jeans and sneakers, leaning heavily on his cane. His head was down and she could see the mussed hair and the scruffy face. And even with his face down, she could see the bright blue eyes. They glowed in her heart. And she knew he was the most beautiful sight she had ever seen.

She moved closer and put her hand on his arm. He shifted his gaze to look at where she had touched him. Then he raised his eyes to hers. They moved closer and within moments their arms were around each other. The first kiss was soft, gentle, but before long, it became deep and passionate.

"Oh, God, Greg," Kate said when they came up for air, "I've missed you."

"I missed you too." House said quietly, too emotional to even think of a quip.

"We have some lost time to make up for."

"We do. So let's not waste it standing here." He led her into the bedroom.

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Kate was snuggled against House's chest and he tightened his arms around her as they lay happy and sated. Quietly, they began to talk. At first, it was about inconsequential things: how had her physical therapy gone, had he had any interesting cases, etc. Then they stopped talking for a bit. Finally, House said, "I thought you weren't coming."

She looked at his face. "I told you I was."

"Yeah, but I thought you changed your mind. I wouldn't have blamed you."

"I was afraid you'd changed your mind. I was afraid to come." She admitted.

"Why would I …Kate, I'm definitely getting the better end of this deal."

"Right, being with someone as screwed up as me is a good deal."

"I'm a cranky, old, drug-addicted cripple."

"You're not old."

He smiled. "Okay, I guess we're both a little screwed up. Maybe we can make this work."

"I'm willing to try. But I really think we should take our time, not rush into anything. I don't have any real experience in relationships."

"My experience isn't very good, so I agree. We'll take it slow, okay?"

"Okay." She said and snuggled closer.

Three weeks later, Kate moved into his apartment.


	12. Chapter 12: Settling In

Chapter 12

House and Kate soon settled into a routine. Not always an easy one, but a routine nonetheless.

Kate was an early riser. She liked to be up at 6, do a workout and be at her desk at the precinct no later than 8. House, of course, slept as late as he possibly could. So Kate made coffee for herself, then, set it up for House, so that when he got up, he could just push the button. She would then give him a kiss on the cheek and go to work.

House liked to stay up late watching TV. Kate preferred to get to bed at a "reasonable" hour, as she put it. So House would join her in bed, then, later go back to the living room to watch TV. When he finally got to bed, he would pull her close to him to snuggle in sleep.

When House had a medical case, Kate would sometimes stay later at work to get paperwork done. When Kate had a murder case, House would go home, but he worried about her. His job wasn't as dangerous as hers (usually).

Neither liked to cook, so they took turns bringing home takeout or else they would meet somewhere after work to eat. In the evenings, sometimes they watched TV together, usually the trashiest shows they could find, all the time making snide remarks about the plots and the acting. Sometimes House would sit at the piano and play, while Kate read or did crossword puzzles.

One night, she sat beside him at the piano while he played. When the song was done, she sighed.

"What?" he asked.

"Nothing. It's just that it sounds so beautiful. I wish I could do that."

"No reason why you can't."

"Are you kidding? I don't know music."

"Well, maybe, if you know someone who does and who has a piano, he could teach you."

She looked at him in wonder. "You would teach me how to play?"

"Oh, did you think I meant me?"

"Seriously, Greg, would you teach me?" 

"I don't know. My rates are pretty high."

"How high?"

"Oh, unbelievably high. Mostly consisting of sexual favors. Positions you've never even thought of."

"That's not a problem. If I haven't thought of them, you probably can't do them."

He smiled and lifted her right hand. He placed her thumb in the middle of the piano, just under the manufacturer's name. "This," he said, "Is middle C."

From then on, every evening, Kate would get a piano lesson. Sometimes she got frustrated if she missed notes, but, surprisingly, he was patient with her efforts. After the lesson, he made her practice for half an hour. She grumbled, but he wouldn't relent.

Wilson stopped by occasionally. He was still amazed that House had actually found a woman to love, but he was happy as well. They tried once or twice to double date, but House always ended up somehow insulting Wilson's dates, so they had to stop that.

Kate had a good friend as well. Joanne was almost sixty, never married, a little overweight and the most terrific person Kate had ever known. She had spent 25 years working as a school teacher in Trenton. When she retired, she took a part time job at the police station as an administrative assistant. Her experience with teenagers in an inner city school made her able to deal with the cops and crooks that came into her sphere. It also made her able to deal with House.

Joanne had her own name for each person she knew based on what she felt they needed from her. Kate needed nurturing, something she hadn't received for most of her life, so she was "Katie." House needed discipline, but in a caring way, so he was "Gregory." They sparred verbally often, but she appreciated the man for bringing love into Kate's life and knew that he was basically good.

At their first meeting, they had established a routine that would continue. Kate introduced them and Joanne said, "So, you're the man who's shacking up with Katie."

"No, that's someone else. I just have sex with her."

Kate rolled her eyes, but Joanne continued. "Don't even try that stuff with me, young man. I won't take any crap from you."

House had to smile at the 'young man' line. "Aw, gee, are you going to send me to the principal's office?" He asked in a whiny, little boy voice.

"I never sent a child to the principal's office in my life. If I couldn't deal with them, then I didn't deserve to be there. And you are no different from any of my students. Arrogant, think you know everything and too smart for your own good. But since Katie seems to like you, I'll be gracious. Just don't get on my bad side or you'll be sorry."

For some reason, House believed her. From then on, whenever they met, he tried to bait her and he always failed. She tried hard not to smile at his antics, but sometimes she had to. He reminded her of all those troublesome young men she had taught. The ones that acted up to get attention. She had always had a soft spot for them. Most of them were incredibly bright and just needed to know that someone cared. She made sure that House knew that she cared. So despite his loud protests, he secretly enjoyed having Kate's friend visit.

Sometimes Joanne and Wilson visited at the same time. Joanne called Wilson, "Jimmy".

One evening, in early December, the four of them were in House's apartment eating pizza. Wilson was noting how terrific they were together. Kate rolled her eyes and House said something about "Little Mary Sunshine."

"No, really," Wilson said. "You two have been together, what, four or five months? You need to celebrate this. You should have a party, a Christmas party and invite all your friends."

House and Kate both looked at him with both horror and shock on their faces.

"Are you nuts?" Kate asked incredulously.

"You must be hanging around the brain tumor patients too long." House said.

"I'm serious. You're a couple now. You should celebrate that by having a party. It would be great."

Joanne nodded in agreement. "That is, actually, a very good idea. Christmas is a wonderful time to share happiness with friends."

House and Kate shared a look that said 'they're both nuts'.

"What do we know about having parties? I've barely even been to one."

House added, "My idea of a party is a bottle of scotch, and a couple of Vicodin."

"Don't be impertinent, Gregory."

House opened his mouth to retort, but Joanne continued, "Anyway, it wouldn't be hard to do. You hire a caterer to do the food and drink. They come, set everything up, serve and even clean up afterwards."

Wilson added, "And you can get a service in to clean and decorate the place."

"We'd have to decorate?" House asked.

"Well, sure. You need to put up your Christmas tree in time for it."

"I don't put up Christmas trees." House snarled, watching his cane as he tapped it on the floor. Suddenly everyone seemed silent. He looked up and saw Kate's face. She was terribly sad all of a sudden. Not the way he was used to seeing her.

"What is it?" he asked.

"I haven't had a Christmas tree since before my mom died. And I never really remember celebrating Christmas." She shook her head. "Never mind, I never really wanted to. Lots of stupid people spending way too much money." But her eyes still looked sad.

House thought his heart would break at the look on her face. He looked at Wilson and Joanne. "Would you guys help us with it?"

Wilson replied eagerly, 'Sure, I'd help."

"I would be happy to help." Joanne added.

Kate looked at House in amazement. "Greg, we can't…"

House interrupted her. "Okay, great, Joanne, you hire a caterer and supervise them. Wilson, you hire a decorator and get a tree." He sat back with a smug grin on his face.

Wilson was stunned. "If we do all of that, we're throwing the party. What will you be doing?"

"I'm offering my home. And Kate and I will be here, entertaining everyone."

"Although I often find you entertaining, it isn't usually because you intend to be." Wilson replied. "How can you just push this on Joanne and me?"

"It was your idea and you know how to throw parties. So, Kate and I will leave it in your capable hands. Don't make us look foolish."

Kate tried very hard to hide a laugh. House felt better seeing her smile. He hated parties and the thought of lots of people in his home terrified him, but to make her happy, he would put up with it. Especially if he didn't have to actually do any work for it.

"What about the guest list?" Wilson asked.

"You know everyone I know. Don't invite anyone who irritates me and we'll be fine."

"That excludes the entire human race."

Joanne finally spoke up. "That's enough, Jimmy." She was also flabbergasted at House's gall, but it really wasn't surprising. And her heart had also broken at the sight of Kate's face. She didn't mind doing some extra work to give that girl a Christmas celebration.

"We'll do it." She said. "I can take care of inviting Kate's friends from the precinct, I know who they are. The only thing I insist on, Gregory, is that you stay out of my way and no criticism from either of you."

House and Kate nodded, wondering how they had managed to get their friends to agree to throw a Christmas party for them.


	13. Chapter 13: The Party

Chapter 13

The last Saturday before Christmas was a cold, but clear day, with the sun shining. House didn't know if this was a good or bad omen. Secretly, he would have preferred a snowstorm that would have kept everyone home, but that was not to be.

The cleaners that Wilson had hired arrived at 8 am (to House's annoyance) and began working immediately. Before long, the apartment was gleaming. Before they were done, the decorators arrived and started hanging evergreen boughs and erecting the tree that Wilson had delivered. This was too much for House. He left Kate to deal with them, taking off on his motorcycle. She yelled after him to be back by five.

Kate wanted to run away as well, but, being a cop, she was at least able to manage the workers. She gave them orders to do what they do and leave her alone, unless the house was on fire or something. Then she went into the bedroom, where the TV had been moved and curled up on the bed to watch 'Demolition Man'. Yes, watching Stallone and Snipes blow things up was much better than watching people throw doodads all over her home.

When House returned, he was greeted by a large wreath on his door and tiny, twinkling lights everywhere. There were evergreen boughs with tiny dark red velvet bows placed elegantly around the room. There was even mistletoe above the doorway. But the most amazing thing was the Christmas tree. It was a beautiful blue spruce, tall and well-formed. Wilson had decided that since Kate missed celebrating Christmas, they should go with an old-fashioned, childhood theme. As a result, the tree was filled with colorful glass balls and whimsical little ornaments and finished with shiny tinsel.

House was about to make a snide remark about it, but then he saw Kate. She was sitting in a chair near the tree, and looking up at it in wonder. Her eyes were shining. She saw House and turned to him with a smile.

"Isn't it wonderful?" she asked.

He smiled back. "Yes, it is wonderful."

The one thing that both Joanne and Wilson had insisted on before agreeing on the party was that both House and Kate follow their advice in dressing for the event. They both grumbled about it, but finally agreed.

Kate dressed first and came out of the bedroom with a scowl on her face. "Do you believe this?" she asked House angrily. "Joanne made me get this stupid outfit."

House couldn't commiserate with her, because to him she looked absolutely beautiful. She was wearing a dark green velvet dress. It was cut low enough to be interesting, but not trashy. It was a-lined and ended mid-thigh. Her legs were encased in light black hose and she had simple black pumps with 2 inch heels on her feet.

"Look," she complained. " I have to wear high heels. My feet are going to be killing me. Joanne wouldn't let me wear the flats I use for work. And she wanted me to get the higher ones than this, but I said no way. And I'm wearing panty hose! Goddamn panty hose! The most useless piece of crap women can wear. They're itchy, they either ride up or down, depending on your figure and they make you hot in the summer, but don't keep you warm in the winter. What's the point?"

"Well," House said, "They do make your legs look really sexy. In fact, I wouldn't mind if you wanted to slip them off right now."

"Oh, no. Once these babies come off my legs, they're off forever. Sexy legs. Men have no idea. Why do you think I don't wear them for work? Could you see me running down a perp in this getup?" She gave a large sigh and sat on the sofa next to him.

"Actually, I think I'd like to see that. The image in my mind is pretty hot." House said, putting his hand on her thigh.

"Forget it, buster. Anyway, you have to go and get dressed yourself."

"I am dressed."

Kate looked at his t-shirt and jeans. "Uh-uh. There's no way Wilson approved that outfit."

"Oh, he made me go shopping with him and he picked out some sissy clothes, but I'm not wearing them."

She rose and grabbed his arm. "No. You are not getting away with that. If I have to look ridiculous and be uncomfortable all night, then so do you."

"But, Mom, my leg hurts."

"You either wear the outfit he picked out or you wear my high heels with the one you have on."

"Make me."

"I have a gun and I will use it."

The look in her eye told him she wasn't joking. House blew out a breath. "Better not mess with a woman in uncomfortable shoes."

He rose and went to the bedroom. While he was getting ready Wilson and Joanne arrived. They fussed around the apartment, making sure everything was ready. The caterer had arrived and was busily heating up food and setting out platters. Kate sat on the sofa, reading a book. She had slipped off the shoes.

It was almost time for the guests to arrive when House finally came out. All three of them had pounded on the bedroom door and yelled at him to hurry up numerous times. At last, he opened the door.

He was wearing charcoal grey slacks, neatly pressed and a navy blue wool sport coat. He also had a crisp white shirt with a dark red tie. The handkerchief in his coat pocket was the same color. Kate would have almost said she didn't recognize him, except that the familiar stubble was on his face and his feet were still clad in sneakers. That was one thing Wilson couldn't get him to move on. But still, he looked very handsome.

The guests arrived. Wilson had invited Cuddy, Cameron, Foreman and Chase. There really wasn't anyone else at Princeton-Plainsboro that House would put up with at his home. Kate's group was also small. Joanne had invited an older cop who had been Kate's mentor when she'd started out. Also another cop who now worked vice, but had been Kate's first partner. They had stayed friends through the years. And to House's annoyance, she had also invited Paul Rogers, Kate's lieutenant and former flame.

In the beginning, the room was divided. The cops were in one circle, talking shop and the doctors were in another circle, doing the same. Joanne knew that if this continued, there would be crimes and diagnosis all evening. She started separating people and introducing them to people on the other side. The older cop started talking to Cuddy about people he'd known that had been at PPTH. The younger cop and Foreman and Chase started talking crime and punishment in Princeton. But Paul stayed near Kate, discussing aspects of her last case.

House watched them from his seat at the piano. Finally, he rose and approached them.

Kate tried to stop House from making any comments. "Greg, you remember my lieutenant, Paul? You met him when I was in the hospital."

"Right." House said. "So what are you two plotting over here?"

Paul spoke up. "We were just discussing Kate's latest case…"

"Ah, no shop talk." House interrupted. "Or I may need to biopsy something on you."

"Yes, I remember how amusing you are." Paul replied.

Almost as much as he hated idiots, House hated pompous asses who tried to patronize him. This guy was hitting high marks on all those scales.

"Right, and you…" House began.

"…have to excuse us, Paul," Kate interrupted. "I see the caterer calling us from the kitchen. There's a situation we need to handle. Come on, Greg."

She pulled an angry House from the room and into the kitchen.

"The caterer doesn't need us. Joanne is handling them. Why did you…"

"Because he's my boss!"

"He's an ass."

"He's an ass who can put me on graveyard shift indefinitely. You may be able to control your boss, but it doesn't work that way in the police world. If you have a problem with him, get over it."

"My problem with him is ..."

"I don't care what your problem with him is. Get over it!" With that, she left the kitchen and returned to the party. Wilson had picked up on the tension between House and Paul and was engaging the latter in conversation. Kate went over to the bar for another glass of wine. Cuddy was standing there. She saw the tension in Kate's hands.

"Let me guess." Cuddy said. "House?"

Kate nodded and rolled her eyes. "How do you deal with him? I know he challenges your authority all the time. How can you let him?"

"He challenges, but he doesn't always win. When he does, it's usually because he's right." Cuddy shrugged. "If he wasn't as good at his job as he is, it would be a different story. But I only have to deal with him at work and unless I have to, I avoid him. But you're living with him. That's a challenge I don't think I could handle."

Kate smiled. "Actually, we probably challenge each other. I'm not an easy person to live with either."

It wasn't too much later that Paul left the party. After that, Kate breathed a sigh of relief. She saw House still sitting at the piano and walked over to sit with him. Wilson noticed too.

"Hey, everyone, I have an idea," Wilson said. "House, why don't you play some Christmas carols?"

House look horrified, but all their friends started to gather around the piano. Kate smiled and said, "Great idea."

"Okay," he said, "But only if my protégé plays first." He slid over so that Kate could sit in the middle of the bench.

"Oh, no," Kate said, quickly. "I'm not ready."

"Sure you are. We were working on that Christmas song just last night."

She looked at him, wanting to say more, but instead of a smug look, she saw confidence in his eyes. He really believed she could play it. She pulled out the sheet music, took a deep breath and played a simple but competent rendition of Jingle Bells.

Everyone applauded loudly when she was finished. She looked at House, smiling and said, "Okay, now it's your turn."

He moved to the middle. Kate started to rise, but he pulled her back. "Stay here." He said. She stayed.

House avoided looking at the people surrounding him. He kept his eyes on the keys. He loved playing music, but was not comfortable playing for an audience. Kate sensed his trepidation and caressed his leg as he played. Somehow it helped and he was able to play several familiar Christmas songs and some of the guests began to sing. After a while, House lost himself in the music and actually enjoyed himself.

The party went on until well after midnight. When the last guests took their leave. Wilson and Joanne made sure the caterers finished their work, before leaving as well. House was still sitting at the piano. Kate came over and sat beside him.

"That was a good party. Everyone had fun."

"Imagine that," House said, as he played softly. "People enjoyed being with me."

"Not just you, buster."

He kept playing. "I don't like Paul. Not just because he's a pompous ass, but also because he wants to get into your pants."

Kate looked at him in amazement. "That's what's this is about? You're jealous?"

"I'm not jealous, I'm just stating a fact."

"God, you're jealous." She said as he glared at her. "Greg, he may or may not want to get into my pants, but it doesn't matter if I don't want him in my pants."

"You have a lot more in common with him, than with me. I can't even fight him for your honor. He could probably take me in a minute. He's younger, stronger."

Kate just sighed. "Even if he beat you in a fight, I'd still go with you. This is where I want to be."

House kept playing, but she could see a little release of stress in his shoulders.

"You know, the guests have gone, but the celebration isn't over. What do think about us having our own?

House looked at her. "I've been thinking about peeling that dress and stockings off you all evening."

"Well, buddy, let's get a move on."

Their celebration wasn't over for a long, long time.


	14. Chapter 14: A Winter Decision

_Note: This chapter is long and contorversial. Please read the whole thing before you judge and please don't judge._

House and Kate spent a quiet Christmas together. Neither was very experienced in celebrating the holiday, so neither had any expectations. Because of that, both enjoyed it more than they would have ever thought.

Both had been unsure about gifts, knowing that they should buy something, but uncomfortable about what was appropriate or what would be appreciated. House had received unsolicited advice from Wilson, Cuddy and Cameron including suggestions like lingerie, silk scarves and, especially, jewelry. But he rejected all of that. He didn't know much about most women, but he knew Kate. He bought her a leather jacket, similar to his, just a bit more feminine that she could wear riding with him or to work. He also gave her a first edition Agatha Christie book and the complete video sets of Lethal Weapon and Die Hard.

Kate had also received suggestions from Joanne and other cops she worked with. Their ideas for House's gifts included sweaters, ties (yeah, right!) and a watch. But she presented him with a set of old jazz records (yes, actual RECORDS) that she had found at a flea market, as well as the latest video game on the market.

They spent Christmas Day unconventionally. House convinced Kate to skip her workout that morning and stay in bed with him, fooling around. A good trade, Kate thought. They rose around eleven. Kate made coffee and House toasted some bagels. Then they sat and played his new game for a while. After that, House made Kate have her piano lesson and practice, but after she finished, he sat beside her and played some himself. Then, they heated up lasagna that they had brought home the day before from a local Italian restaurant and drank wine with it. Before long, they were back in bed, ending the day as they had started it.

All in all, the best Christmas either of them remembered in a long time.

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Almost two months later.

Maybe it was just winter that was causing Kate to hate getting out of bed to do her workout. She just found herself too exhausted to leave the warm bed and the warm man that was in it. Maybe it was mostly the warm man. But House was sound asleep when she got up. She rarely even used the alarm, since her internal clock usually woke her up. But lately she was just too tired to rouse herself. She thought maybe she had the flu. In that case, sleeping in and skipping her workout wouldn't be uncalled for.

House slowly opened his eyes, sensing something was not quite right. The light peeking in through the closed blinds in his room told him it was probably around 9 AM, his usual time to rise, so that wasn't it. The pain in his leg that he experienced every morning after extra hours without his meds combined with the normal stiffness from sleeping also wasn't unusual.

A small noise beside him alerted him to something. He turned his head and saw that Kate was still in bed, sound asleep next to him. He looked at the clock on the nightstand just to be certain and, sure enough, it read 9:10 AM.

Why was Kate still here, let alone still in bed, he thought. She was usually in her office no later that eight each day. He reached over and shook her softly. She didn't stir.

"Kate," he called, "Wake up."

Finally, she opened her eyes and looked at him. "Wha-what's wrong."

"Do you know it's after nine?"

"What are you talking about?" She said groggily.

"It's after nine."

Suddenly she started to awaken. "In the morning?" she asked.

"Unless the sun decided to start shining at night."

She sat straight up. "You're kidding me! It can't be!"

"While that might be an amusing joke, I don't think you'd appreciate it."

She shot out of bed and started frantically running around the room, looking for clothes. "Oh, no, this can't be," she said again. "I was only going to skip my workout, sleep for a little longer."

House had been watching her in amusement as she ran around, but now he looked more closely. Her eyes, usually so bright, were tired looking.

"Are you feeling okay?"

"Just really tired, probably have a bug or something." She continued to look around, not sure what she was searching for.

At her words, Dr. House kicked in. "Come over here and sit down."

"No, no time. I have to get ready. God, I'm so late!"

"Kate, don't make me tackle you. COME HERE!"

At his tone, she sighed and went over to sit beside him. He took her face in his hand and looked in her eyes.

"What are your symptoms?"

"I don't have any _symptoms_, doctor. I'm just tired. Probably too many late nights with you."

"Yeah, that would make sense, if you ever actually stayed up late with me. You're usually in bed by nine at the latest. And ready to sleep by ten." He added with a slight grin. Not to mention, he thought, that the night before she had fallen asleep on the sofa at seven while he was playing the piano. He had hauled her off to bed, tucked her in and left her to sleep.

"Open your mouth."

"Greg, I don't need…"

"I didn't mean open it to talk. I want to see your throat."

Resigned, Kate opened her mouth. House couldn't see any sign of infection. "Any soreness?" he asked her.

"No, just tired, like I said."

"How's your appetite?"

Kate hesitated, and then said, "Fine."

"Right. That's why I had so much pizza left over last night."

"Okay, I've been a little off my food, but no big deal. I could stand to lose a few pounds. The holidays did a number on me." Kate sat back with a smile. "That's probably why I'm feeling tired. I usually keep my weight in check. I must be getting lazy since I moved in here."

"Laziest person I ever saw. Most people get up earlier than you and do more than an hour long workout."

"How would you know? You're asleep when I work out."

House ignored that. "Come into the hospital today and I'll check you out."

"God, no. I'm not going into the hospital. I'm just a little tired, probably from overweight. Let it go, doc." She rose and went to the bathroom to shower.

When she came out, House was waiting in the bathroom with something in his hand.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

"I'm going to take some blood."

"Are you a vampire? Leave my blood alone."

"You don't want to come in, let me get the blood and I'll take it and test it. There are a lot of very basic things that could cause fatigue and weight gain. Thyroid, for instance. If it's something like that, we find out, get you on some medication and you'll be back to normal in no time."

Kate considered that, and then nodded her head. House prepared her arm, then using the syringe, filled two vials with blood.

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When House arrived at PPTH, he went straight to the lab. He was hoping ideally, that no one was there, so that he could run the tests himself. Failing that, a technician would do. He could give a fake name for a patient and instruct the tech to bring the results directly to him. But to his dismay, when he entered the lab, Dr. Alison Cameron was there.

"What are you doing here?" He barked.

"Good morning to you too."

"Don't change the subject."

She rolled her eyes. "Our patient from last month came back for a follow-up and I'm just running his levels. I want to be sure our treatment worked." She stopped and stared at him. "What are you doing here? We don't have a case…that I know of."

He considered for a moment, then said, "I need you to check this blood for me. It's not a patient, just a favor for someone." He handed her the two vials.

"What am I checking for?"

"Just run the basic tests. I'm not looking for anything unusual. In fact, it's probably something simple. As I said it's a favor. And I'd prefer if you kept this between us."

"Is it a man or a woman?"

"Doesn't matter."

"Yes, it does. If it's a man, I won't bother with a pregnancy test."

House just looked at her, trying to keep all expression off of his face.

"It's a woman." He said, and limped out of the lab.

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House was at his desk, his back to his door when he heard the door open and a quiet tap, tap of high heels.

"So," he said, "Tell me."

"It's positive for pregnancy."

House just sat there, a million thoughts running through his head. "Anything else?" he asked.

"No, everything else was normal."

House just nodded, but didn't look at her.

Cameron was about to leave, but decided to take a shot. "House, was the test for Kate?"

House turned to look at her, no expression on his face, then turned back.

"House, that's wonderful! You're going to be a father."

House turned again, this time the look on his face was murderous. "Don't you have something else to do?"

She knew that he wasn't going to talk about it, so she walked out of his office.

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House decided to wait until he arrived home to tell Kate the results. Of course, she was late and came in looking even more tired than she had that morning.

She could tell by his face that something was up.

"Oh, God," she said, "What's wrong with me? Am I dying?"

"You're fine, you're not dying."

"But something is wrong. Just tell me."

He tapped his cane on the floor, not looking at her and said, "You're pregnant."

She looked at him incredulously. "That's ridiculous. I can't be pregnant."

"Well, I'm only a doctor, we sort of learned this right away, but why don't you tell me why you can't?"

"I'm on the pill."

"99 percent effective. Know why they say 99 percent? Because that little one percent means that you can be."

"I just had my period, last week!"

"Women sometimes get their periods in the first or second month of pregnancy. What else have you got?"

Now Kate looked panicked. "I can't be PREGNANT! What the hell kind of mother would I be?"

"Back at you on that one. Your choice of father for this wasn't a great one."

Kate started pacing around the room. "What am I going to do? I don't know how to be a parent. I never had a real family life. My mother didn't know the first thing about being a mother. And I am not exactly the nurturing type."

House just looked at her. "Your decision, Kate."

She stopped pacing. "It's probably best. Neither one of us are ready to be parents."

House nodded. "You should call your gynecologist tomorrow. Schedule it."

"Right. I'll do that. First thing." She nodded her head, as if telling herself that this was right. "I'll do that tomorrow."

House just watched her.

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The next day House was in the conference room when Kate called and told him that the "procedure" was scheduled in two days, at ten in the morning.

"Okay," he said, "I'll take off work."

She stared at him. "You don't have to come."

"Sure I do. You won't be able to drive yourself home."

"I can take a cab."

"No, you can't. I'm going with you."

"Okay." She said and they hung up.

House turned to his team and said, "I'll be out on Thursday." With that, he turned and went into his office.

Cameron had heard his side of the conversation. It didn't take much for her to realize what he was talking about. She followed him in and closed the door.

"House, don't let her do that."

"Do what?" He asked.

"I know what you were talking about. I realize you don't want this, but you can't just let her …"

"First of all, none of your business. Second, it was her decision."

Cameron looked like she wanted to cry, but she knew the conversation was over.

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Two days later, House was sitting in a waiting room at Princeton General with Kate. They had decided that it would be best to not do it at Princeton-Plainsboro. Everyone knew House and it would be all over the hospital.

House turned to her. "Are you sure about this?"

"Of course." She said. "This is for the best. You know that."

"Right. That kid wouldn't have much of a chance with us."

"No way."

The nurse called Kate into the procedure room. House walked in with her. Dr. Akiro walked in. Kate introduced her to House.

"Of course I know of you, Dr. House. Actually, I sent a patient to you last year."

"Did I cure her?"

"Yes, you did."

"Well, that's good. I wouldn't want you working on Kate if I didn't. Could be bad feelings."

Dr. Akiro smiled and looked at Kate.

"Kate, we'll be ready to do this in a few minutes. I just want to be sure that you are aware of all of the ramifications."

"I know what I'm doing." Kate said.

"I'm sure you do and it's your choice. But as your doctor, I want to make sure you know that many women who do this regret it later."

"Are you trying to talk me out of it?"

"Absolutely not. I am just making sure you are prepared before you do this. Once done, it can't be undone. So, are you prepared? Are you sure?"

"Yes." She said. "I'm sure."

"Okay." Dr. Akiro smiled. "Then, I'm going to leave the room while you get undressed. There's a gown on the table for you. I'll be back in a few minutes."

Kate looked at House. "I'd rather you not be here for it." She told him.

"Okay." He said. "I'll be in the waiting room."

House returned to the waiting room and sat down. He tried to look at a magazine, but couldn't concentrate. He knew it wouldn't be long, it was usually a quick procedure. Still it seemed like he was waiting forever until the nurse came out to him.

"Dr. House? Could you please come in?"

He nodded and rose. He limped after the nurse and went into the room where Kate was. He was surprised to see her sitting up on a chair, wearing the hospital gown.

"How ya doing?" He asked.

"I'm fine." She replied. "But I couldn't do it."

"What?"

"I couldn't go through with it. I'm sorry."

"I thought you said…"

"I know what I said. But when the time came, all I could think of was that this was a part of me and of you." She looked at him. "I just couldn't destroy something that was a part of you."

He took a breath. "You realize what you're getting into."

"Yes, I do. And believe me, I'm scared to death."

"Me too."

"Greg, you don't need to…I mean, this wasn't in the plan, wasn't what you signed on for. I understand if you don't want to be a part of this."

House went to her and picked up her hand. "I am probably the worse choice you could make for a father. You think your example was bad, you have no idea. But if you're in this, I'm in this. That is, if you want me to be."

She looked at him and smiled. "I want you to be." She rose and went into his arms. "God, are we nuts? What kind of parents are we ever going to be?"

"I don't know. But at least you can teach the kid self-defense and I can make sure he's healthy."

"Oh, God help us. We're certifiable. But I guess we're going to do this?"

"I guess we are."

_Author's Note: I know there are a lot of very volatile opinions on abortion. Personally, I'm against it, but I believe each woman makes that choice on her own. In the context of this story, given House and Kate's upbringing, I didn't see them immediately embrace the idea of a child. So if you don't like the fact that they would even consider it, I'm sorry, but it just made sense to me. (And it made for some good drama.)_

_Thanks to all of my reviewers. Even though I can't reply to each of you, I do appreciate the support. There is definitely more to come with this story._


	15. Chapter 15: Uncertainties & Decisions

Chapter 15

House walked into the conference room the next day to find only Cameron sitting there. She looked up at him with sad puppy dog eyes, as if she was about to cry. He sighed, rolled his eyes and then figured if he didn't put her out of her misery, she would be useless for the rest of the day, possibly the week.

"She didn't do it." He said.

"What?"

"Did you lose your hearing in two days?" He spoke louder. "SHE DIDN'T DO IT."

"You mean she's still…you're still…you're going to…oh, my God!" She broke out in a grin. "This is fantastic! This is so wonderful!"

House rolled his eyes again. "Can we keep the cheerleading down, Suzy Sunshine? First of all, I'd rather the whole world not know this just yet. So if I hear Chase and Foreman gossiping about it, I'll know where it came from! And second, well, I don't how wonderful it is."

"Of course it is. You're going to be a father!"

"Yeah, I know." House left her and went into his office.

Later that day, House was sitting at Wilson's desk, eating Wilson's sandwich.

"Can't you ever eat your own food?"

"Nope." House replied. "Gotta save my pennies."

"That's all you do is save them. You never pay for anything. What are saving it for?"

"Got another mouth to feed."

"Kate makes her own money."

"Not talking about Kate."

Wilson looked at him, perplexed. He started to answer, then a thought occurred to him. He almost dismissed it, but looking at House, it started to make sense. It couldn't be, but…

"Are you telling me…is Kate pregnant?"

"Yep."

Wilson sat back in his chair, stunned. "How did that happen?"

House gave him a look, then said, "Didn't they cover that in med school or were you absent that day? Though, come to think of it, if you have to ask, maybe now I understand how your marriages failed."

Wilson ignored his comments and said, "I mean, did you plan it?"

"Nope."

"How do you feel about it?"

"Scared shitless."

Wilson smiled. "How does Kate feel about it?"

"The same."

"Then why are you…"

"We tried the alternative and it didn't work for us."

Wilson gave him a look, so House related the events of the day before.

"So, you're going to be a daddy."

House groaned. "If you say that word, I promise to hurt you –badly."

"It might not be so bad."

"Can you honestly picture me as a father?"

"Doesn't matter whether you or I can or not, it's happening. You may find that you enjoy it more than you'd imagine."

"Parental advice from the man with three marriages and no kids."

"Doesn't mean I haven't thought about it. Though I agree you're not exactly the fatherly type, you might surprise all of us."

House just looked at him and since the sandwich was done and the conversation not to his liking, he left the office.

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Kate was determined not to tell anyone at the police station right away. She wanted to be able to do her job for as long as she possibly could without everyone worrying about her and the baby. She knew that once she began to show, that would be it. She knew that her reflexes in the field would probably be compromised by the baby weight and she wouldn't want the job affected by her, nor would she want to put her fellow officers in danger. But until she felt that slowdown, she wanted to work unimpeded.

She went to lunch with Joanne that day. She hadn't said anything about the baby to her friend, but she forgot how perceptive the older woman was.

"Feeling better today?" she asked Kate.

"Sure, I'm fine."

"You seem a little pale."

"Just a bug."

"Mmm-hmm. The kind of bug that takes months to clear up and never really leaves for at least eighteen years."

Kate looked at her in amazement. "How did you…"

"You forget I spent a long time working with teenagers, many of them female. I learned how to recognize the symptoms."

"Please don't tell anyone at work yet." She explained her reasoning for this.

Joanne understood, she knew how the police hierarchy worked and their attitude towards female cops and their issues.

"They won't hear it from me. But tell me how you feel about this."

"I'm petrified. What do I know about being a mother?"

"What does anyone know before it happens? Everyone goes into it blind."

"Yeah, but I grew up in foster homes. I don't even know how a family should be."

"Of course you do. A family is whatever you want it to be. You already have it. You and Gregory together are a family. The friends you bring into your life are also part of your family. Jimmy and I, for instance."

"That's not the same as raising a child."

"No, it isn't. But both of you are good, intelligent people and you will figure it out. I saw many types of families as a teacher. Some good, some bad. There was no rhyme or reason as to how they became either. You have just as much a chance for good as bad. Probably more for good, since you know what not to do."

"God, I hope so." But Kate wasn't completely reassured. There were too many doubts going through her mind. The only thing she was sure of was that she hadn't made a mistake in not having the abortion, but beyond that, she was lost.

That night, as Kate and House relaxed at the piano, she tried to put some of her thoughts into words.

"Greg, how are we going to do this?"

"Probably you're going to carry the baby for approximately nine months, then give birth to it. I could be wrong, but I'm not usually."

"That part doesn't bother me." She said, then added. "Well, not too much. It's after I give birth. What do we do then?"

"Actually, in the beginning, we should do okay. Little babies just need food, baths, diaper changes. Pretty basic. I can keep him pretty healthy, you can baby proof the house, not too hard. It's once he starts talking that the problems begin. Because then we have to answer him and tell him things."

She cocked her head and looked at House. "You keep saying 'he'. You want a boy?"

House considered. "I didn't really think about it. I don't know." He started to think. Oh, man, a boy would be bad enough, but at least they could have sports and motorcycles in common. What the hell would he do with a girl? Giggles and dresses and makeup. Then he looked at Kate. She wasn't all girly, she was okay. Chances are their daughter would be too. Chances are their daughter or son would be an intelligent mix of the two of them. Then again, he or she could be a mix of his bad moods and Kate's stubbornness.

Would his son look down on a father that couldn't play ball with him? Would a daughter be ashamed of his infirmities? Was he crazy?

Kate was lost in thought as well. What if the kid asked about her family? How much do you tell a child? And how the hell did you nurture a child? She wasn't even sure she understood the meaning of the word.

They went to bed that night still filled with these anxieties. They both tossed and turned with their worries. In the morning, House had made a decision. He needed to make some plans before he told Kate.

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At work, he made a few phone calls to get the information he needed, and then went in to see Wilson.

Without greeting his friend, he said, "I'm going into rehab."

"What? Really?"

"I'm not going to be much of a father addicted to a narcotic. I need to get this worked out. I called Dr. Harbison, that guy you recommended to me."

"And?"

"He has a four week program that he thinks will work for me. I don't want to be gone longer than that. I need to be there for Kate."

Wilson smiled. He had so hoped that House would come to this. Although he knew in his heart that House would be a good father, his decision to do this solidified that belief.

"You have to do something for me while I'm gone."

"Anything." Wilson said.

"Take care of Kate. Make sure she eats right, doesn't lift heavy stuff, puts her feet up."

Wilson couldn't believe his friend cared this much, but he was happy he did. "Of course I will. Don't worry."

Kate was shocked when House told her.

"Are you sure? You don't have to do this, I mean, I know how much pain…"

"I have to do this. I know I'm not going to be the best father in the world, but I can at least try not to be a drug-addicted one."

"Thank you."

"You have to do something too."

"What?" Kate asked, perplexed.

"Go to therapy."

"What…no!"

"Kate, if you don't deal with the things that happened to you, you'll never be a well-adjusted mother to our kid. I'm gonna face my demons and try to beat them. You have to do the same."

She swallowed. "What if the therapist tells the police?"

He shook his head. "Can't. Doctor-patient privilege. Anything you tell him is confidential. He could lose his license. It wouldn't be worth it to tell on a twenty-five year old crime that was self defense at the worst."

She looked at her feet. She knew he was right, but it was still a hard decision to make. "Can I think about it?" 

"Sure." He rose from the sofa. "I need to pack some things."

"Wait, when are you going?"

"Tomorrow. The sooner I start this, the sooner I'll be done."

She looked dejected. "I'm going to miss you."

"Of course you will. But you can come and visit. It's not far."

"Do they allow conjugal visits?"

He smiled. "I'll definitely have to find out."


	16. Chapter 16: Adjustments

**Author's Note: I am not going into detail about House's rehab, because I have no expertise in that area. So many of you have written wonderful descriptions about such things, that I am humbled and can't begin to do it justice. So forgive me for the lack, let's assume that it was tortuous and he somehow got through it and go on with the story.**

Chapter 16

House wouldn't let Kate drive him to the rehab facility. He didn't want to have to say goodbye in public. He arranged to have Wilson pick him up after she left for work. Before leaving, she went to him and held him close.

"I really am going to miss you."

"Same here. Just remember to keep practicing. No sliding on your lessons while I'm gone."

"You try not to torture the staff too much."

"Aw, you won't let me have any fun."

Except for that first time, they didn't usually say 'I love you' to each other. Both were reluctant to use the words (except when shouted in front of other people). Instead, they showed how they felt about each other. Like her inability to destroy his child. Like his deciding to do rehab.

They shared one long, luscious kiss, before she finally went to work. He watched her drive away, thinking about how much he really was going to miss her.

That evening, Kate listlessly tried to practice the last lesson that House had given her, but her heart wasn't in it. Both Wilson and Joanne had called her and tried to get her to go to dinner, but she wasn't in the mood. She had found out that although she would be able to visit him, she had to wait two weeks. He wasn't allowed any visitors until then. In the months that they had been living together, they had never gone more than 24 hours without seeing each other. She couldn't even call him on the phone.

She went to bed, but couldn't sleep. Finally, she moved over to his side of the bed and put her head on his pillow. She could smell him there. Inhaling deeply, she closed her eyes and slept at last.

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Wilson was tied up with a difficult case and although he called Kate every day to check on her, he had been unable to visit in the four days since House went into rehab. Even so, it shook him when Joanne called him.

"Jimmy, you will need to go to your emergency room. Kate is coming in."

"What?" he said in alarm, thinking of the baby. "What happened?"

"She fainted. She came to in just a few minutes, but we all insisted she go to the hospital to get checked out and one of the officers just took her in a squad car, so she should be there shortly. I told him to bring her to Princeton-Plainsboro, since I thought you would want to check her out. I am about to get into my car to follow as well."

"Yes, of course. I'll get right down to ER and meet her. Did she hit her head or anything?"

"No, just sort of collapsed. She fell into a chair, luckily, although she did bump her leg and arm on the desk. She'll probably have some nasty bruises there."

Wilson thanked her and hung up so that he could get to ER. All he was thinking about was that House would kill him if something happened to Kate while she was supposed to be under his care.

An hour later, Wilson was looking at the woman who sat in the exam room with irritation in her entire manner.

"I just got a little dizzy. What is the big deal, James?"

"The deal is you're pregnant. And you're severely dehydrated and mal-nourished. How did this happen Kate? You know better than this?"

"Every time I eat something, I vomit! Hell, even when I drink water, I vomit! I'm tired of vomiting, so I stopped eating. All the books say that the morning sickness--or make that all day sickness--is usually only the first trimester and I'm almost past that. So I figured, I'd cut down on the eating until the sickness ends."

Wilson shook his head. "I know House has been giving you piano lessons, I didn't know he was teaching you medicine as well. First of all, the morning sickness can sometimes last until the baby is born. Every woman is different. But under no circumstances should you not eat. The baby needs nutrients. If you don't provide them through food, it's going to take them from your body. That's why you fainted. Second, have you spoken to your OB/GYN about the being nauseous?"

"No." she admitted. "I hate to bother her about every little thing."

"This isn't a little thing. When was the last time you had a meal?"

"I've had some crackers. Oh, and some marinated mushrooms. I like the vinegar."

"What, no pickles?"

"Ugh, I hate pickles."

Just like House, Wilson thought and softly laughed. "Okay, I'm going to call your doctor to see what she's given you and find out what you can take. Then I'm going to give you something to help control being nauseous."

"If I try to swallow pills or even liquid medicine, I'll just throw them up." She protested.

"They're not taken orally."

"Then how…oh. Ew."

"Sorry, best we can do. The alternative is that we admit you to the hospital and feed you intravenously."

"You wouldn't do that, would you?"

"I'm already in hot water. House made me promise to take care of you, and he specifically said to make sure you eat. He's gonna kill me when he finds out."

"I don't need anyone to take care of me!"

"Obviously, you do."

She realized he was right. And she knew that House would be angry –at both of them. "Do you have to tell him?"

Wilson shook his head. "He always finds out."

"I just don't want to upset him right now. He's dealing with rehab and it can't be easy."

Wilson sighed and said, "Okay, I won't tell him. But you have to take the medicine as instructed and you have to EAT!"

"Alright, alright, I will. Thanks, James."

She followed his instructions with the medicine and, just to be sure, he stopped by each evening and cooked her a meal, making sure it was healthy and easy to digest. She insisted he share it with her, so he did. It helped her loneliness to have House's best friend to talk to. They laughed over stories about the man they both loved, as they looked forward to the day they would be able to visit him.

"How about if I pick you up tomorrow after work?" he asked her before he left the night before they could visit. "We can stop for a bite on the way to the hospital."

"Okay, we can do that," she said with a smile.

He said goodbye and headed home. On the way, he reflected on the woman he had just left. She really was terrific. It occurred to him that although he dated many women and had been married three times, he never seemed to attract women with that type of strength and character. How did House do it? First there had been Stacy. Despite their problems, she was a beautiful woman who had loved House very much. Then of course, there was Cameron. Even though she only had a crush on House, she was another terrific lady. Not to mention Cuddy. He wasn't sure what exactly was between them, but obviously, she cared more for House than an employer usually did. Considering that House was not your usual employee. Still, a strong woman like her wouldn't put up with someone like him, unless there was some feeling behind it.

Now there was Kate. Another beautiful and strong woman who loved House. If House wasn't his best friend…but he let that thought go. House was his best friend and there were some lines you just never crossed.

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House had known that rehab would be hard, but he hadn't expected what he had to deal with in the first two weeks. He understood why he wasn't allowed visitors during that time. He wouldn't have been able to communicate rationally with them and they would have been upset to see him. Most of the time was a blur to him, all he could remember were days and nights filled with pain and slowly learning how to deal with it. He had to spend time with Dr. Harbison in therapy as well, which was even more painful for him.

Somehow he emerged from those two weeks in one piece, more or less. He hadn't yet lost his craving for Vicodin, but he was learning that he could deal with the pain by taking much less and finding other means. Now he was looking forward to finally having visitors.

He didn't realize that the withdrawal and pain had caused a physical change in him. He had lost weight and there were circles under his eyes. But since his appearance had improved vastly from two days previous, he thought he looked fine. However, when Wilson and Kate entered the room, he could see by the expressions on their faces that he was wrong. Kate's eyes were starting to fill up when she went to him and put her arms around him.

She tried to talk bravely. "How are you feeling?"

"Just peachy. I could probably go out and run a marathon. No, wait, I still can't do that." He stopped when he looked at her face. "I'm okay. I thought I looked okay, at least you should have seen me a few days ago. But judging by you guys, I guess not."

"You look fine." Wilson said.

"Yeah, but you're used to looking at people dying from cancer. Bet I look better than them anyway." He turned to Kate. "Tell me the truth."

She hesitated briefly, then told him. "You look like hell."

"Thanks, I was aiming for that satanic look."

She laughed. "Well, the important thing is how you're feeling."

"Feel like hell. Or at least like I've been to hell. But it's getting better." He looked at her. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine. Everything's good."

House could sense that something wasn't being said, but he held his tongue—for now. Then he asked Wilson some questions about the hospital and got reassurances that his team were handling things just fine while he was gone.

"So you will get out in two weeks?" Kate asked.

"If I'm in here any longer than that, I'm committing murder."

"Good, then I can schedule the ultrasound for after you come home."

"You don't need me to do that."

"No, but I want you. If I have to look at images of our kid swimming around inside me, so do you."

This was definitely taking his mind off rehab. The thoughts of seeing ultrasound images of their child was both exciting and frightening.

"We'll talk about it when I get out of here."

"We sure will."

As House looked at her determined face, he realized how much he really had missed her. Through the last two grueling weeks, the thought of her had kept him moving through the program. At that moment, he wanted nothing more than to hold her in his arms. Then he remembered that they were not alone.

"Wilson, the little boys room is down the hall."

"I don't have to go."

"Yes, you do."

Realization struck and Wilson said, "Oh, right, yes, I do. I'll be back." He left the room, pulling the door closed behind him.

House pulled Kate into his arms. Their kiss was long and full of hunger. She moved him towards the bed, but he stopped her.

"Unfortunately this place doesn't allow conjugal visits and one of the attendants could come in at any time."

"I almost don't care. I'd heard that pregnant women have increased sex drives, but I never realized."

"Oh, man, you make this tough. Now I really can't wait until I get out of here."

They both laughed. House felt good to laugh again, there hadn't been many laughs the last two weeks.

"I want to tell you something." She said. "I made an appointment for therapy. I'm going later this week."

"Are you sure about it?"

"No, I'm nervous as hell. But if you can do this, then I guess I can try."

He held her close to him. Somehow they would both get through this and, God help them, bring a kid into the world.

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Two weeks later, Wilson and Kate brought House home from rehab.

"Cuddy said you can take a few days to get adjusted before coming back to work." Wilson said.

"Don't need to." House replied.

"Greg, don't you think…?" Kate began.

"No, I don't. I have no idea what those three did to Diagnostics since I've been gone, so I need to get back and straighten them out."

Wilson snickered at that. It wasn't like House to be conscientious about work and he didn't think he was being so now. He just needed to get back normalcy in his life as soon as he could. Normalcy that would soon be shattered when the baby arrived.

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House did accompany Kate to the ultrasound. He found himself full of emotion as he watched the monitor that showed his child moving around inside of Kate. He still didn't know if he wanted to be a father, but he couldn't help but feel something at that sight.

He also felt something the next day, when Kate met him at the door with the words:

"They saw something on the ultrasound."

"What did they see?"

"I don't know, I couldn't keep it clear, I was upset when Dr. Akiro told me. But there's something and I need to go and see her about it." Kate was clearly still upset.

"Don't worry. I'll check out what it is and talk to the doctor with you."

That was obviously what she wanted to hear. She relaxed a bit, though she still looked upset. He put his arms around her.

The next day, House pulled up the records from Kate's ultrasound. What they'd found were cysts on the baby's brain that could possibly result in the child being born with Downs Syndrome. Well, he thought, it wasn't good news, but it wasn't the worst either. They could handle that if they had to. An amniocentesis would tell them either way.

Then he noticed something else in Kate's file. Something about an emergency room visit. The date was just after he'd started rehab. As he read the file, he felt the anger build up in him.

He stormed into Wilson's office. "You jerk! I asked you to do one thing for me and you couldn't handle that!"

Wilson looked up in surprise. "What are you talking about?" He asked, although he was pretty sure he knew.

"Don't give me that. What kind of doctor are you? You can't make sure a pregnant woman eats? That shouldn't be that hard!"

Wilson sighed. "You're right, I'm sorry. I was busy with a case. I called her and she told me she was eating. I didn't know until she came to the ER. For what it's worth, from then on I personally made sure she ate."

"It's not worth much. What kind of friend are you?"

Wilson started to get angry himself. "I know you're upset, and I know it was my fault. But you have to know that I would never let anything happen to Kate. She a terrific lady and much better than you deserve."

"You think I don't know that?" House asked, but as he looked at Wilson, he saw something else. "You made sure she ate after the ER incident."

"Yes, personally."

House gave him a wry look. "Should I be worried?"

Wilson instantly knew what he was asking. "No, of course not. We're friends. There are some things you just don't do."

"Well, that's good to know."

"But, House, if you ever hurt her…"

"Is that a threat?"

"No, just a warning."

"So much for 'we're friends'."

Wilson didn't say anything and House returned to his office.

Two days later, Kate had the amniocentesis done.


	17. Chapter 17: Waiting

**Author's Note: This chapter isn't real long, but there's only so much you can say about waiting for a baby to be born. There's a lot happening in the next chapters, so please keep reading. I only have a few reviewers and I thank you very much for being there. Even if you're the only ones reading this, I'm continuing, because I like the story and I have more to say. If anyone else is out there, please let me know!**

Chapter 17

Kate had expected the amniocentesis to be a bit painful. It had been more than a bit. It helped that House stayed with her the entire time, explaining to her what was happening, but also watching that Dr. Akiro did everything correctly.

What was more painful was waiting for the results. House tried to use his clout to rush them, but there was only so much he could do. Kate's nightmares had lessened in the months she lived with House, only occurring now and then when she'd had a particularly stressful or violent day at work. But now they returned with a vengeance. House woke her up when she started yelling and crying and held her until she fell back to sleep.

Although she knew it was stupid, in the back of her mind, she blamed herself for any problem the baby might have. A million reasons ran through her head. She drank wine before she knew she was pregnant, she was too strenuous in her job, the whole not eating/dehydration thing, etc.

House tried to reassure her, but he had his own fears. Even though Downs Syndrome wasn't always life-threatening, there were health concerns that could arise from it, not to mention the social stigma on the child. He wondered if his Vicodin addiction had anything to do with it. He began to research the possibilities.

Finally, he came home one day and Kate ran into his arms.

"It's okay!" she said, "The baby is okay. Dr. Akiro just called me and everything is normal. No Downs Syndrome!"

House held her to him, relieved that Kate would have relief from her anxieties.

Kate continued. "She asked if we wanted to know the baby's sex."

"You told her yes, right?"

"I told her no."

"Why would you do that?"

"I want to be surprised."

"Well, I can't wait. I want to know now. Call her back and get her to tell me."

"No, you might slip and tell me and I want to be surprised."

They glowered at each other for a few seconds, then both started laughing.

"If you really, really need to know…" Kate began.

"No," he said, "I guess I can wait."

From then on, the baby became real to them in a way it hadn't before. Perhaps thinking that there were problems to deal with made them realize that they really were going to be parents. They began to make plans.

There was a good day care center at the hospital and although there was usually a waiting list to get in, House was sure he could convince (bully) Cuddy into helping them get a spot. They decided to also employ a nanny to transition the baby from day care to home, since both of them sometimes needed to work late unexpectedly. House knew that students from the university often worked as nannies after their classes were done for the day and he thought this would be a good choice for them. Someone at work could probably help him with finding a nanny.

Kate told her lieutenant about the baby, and as she had predicted, he put her on desk duty. Although she found it deadly boring, she knew it was probably for the best. She planned on going back to work after the baby, but decided to take some extra time. The Family Leave Act allowed her to take an extra month or two and thanks to House's doctor's salary, they could afford to do this.

Physically, she was okay, although the morning (all day!) sickness didn't really go away. It wasn't as bad as in the beginning and she was able to keep food down without use of the medication. Emotionally, except for still being nervous about being a mother, she felt pretty good. Her sex drive had increased as sometimes does with pregnant women. Since her normal sex drive was pretty good, this increase was amazing. House was not complaining, although he often appeared at work extra tired.

Kate enrolled them in childbirth classes at the hospital. House grumbled that he shouldn't have to attend, after all, he was a doctor. He knew what to expect. He had been present at many births. He found a million reasons not to go, but finally, the fact that Kate was nervous and needed him was the reason why he went.

Of course, he didn't go easily. Since the classes were held at the hospital, Kate met him there. He was always late getting to the class and when Kate chided him on it, he either claimed he had a patient or he blamed his leg.

It wasn't much better when he was there. He commented on everything the nurse running the class said, usually contradicting her. Finally, she'd had enough.

"Dr. House," she said. "Since you obviously know much more than I do, I'll let you come up here and run the class." With that, she walked out of the room.

Kate just rolled her eyes. Everyone else in the class looked at House. They had all paid for this class and they expected to get the knowledge they needed for the birth of their babies. House tried to call the nurse back, but she was gone. He looked at Kate. She just shook her head.

"Don't look at me. You brought this on with your big mouth. Now tell these people what they need to know."

House glared at her. "Big help you are." Then he looked at the people surrounding him. Most were very young and looked nervous. Some were older, but they still looked nervous. Since this was a class for first time parents, these people needed to know what to expect. He wished he could tell them exactly what to expect, but unfortunately, he knew that things didn't always go exactly as expected.

"Okay, people," he began. "All of you are going to have babies. You want to know what's going to happen, what you should do. What's going to happen is a baby is going to come out of the women and the men are going to have to stand there and watch. She's going to scream and be in pain and he's going to feel bad for her while he's secretly thinking, 'thank God, I'm not a woman.' As to what you should do, just do whatever your doctor tells you and you'll be fine."

He looked like he wanted to sit down, but Kate glared at him. "Alright, alright, you want to know more. The odds are that there will be no complications at the birth. Medical science has gotten pretty good at this in the last century or so."

He scanned the room for a moment. "Even though you're probably worried about the birth itself, don't be. It's after that you should be worried about. How are you going to take care of a kid? How will you know what to do, what to say? You won't. You're going to make mistakes, probably lots of them." He saw the faces looked scared, so he continued quickly. "But you're also probably going to do a lot of things right. Your kid will get sick, sometimes mildly, sometimes seriously and there's no way to predict it. You'll do what your pediatrician tells you to do and if he's half decent that will probably be enough. If not, you'll come and see me whether I like it or not."

The fear hadn't left them yet, so he kept talking. "I've seen all kinds of parents. Good ones, bad ones, and everything in-between. There's no way to know which of you will be good or bad. All you can do is try. Love that kid. But be realistic about him too. Don't knowingly put him in danger. But if you do, get the help you need right away. That should be enough."

He started to return to his seat, then turned back and added, "One more thing – NEVER LIE TO YOUR DOCTOR!"

Kate smiled at him. They went home that night and as they held each other in bed, began to really look forward to the arrival of their child.

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The baby was due at the end of September. In July, Joanne threw a baby shower for Baby House. Since Kate wasn't a woman with a lot of girlfriends (she actually had one – Joanne), she decided to make it a co-ed event and invited House's and Kate's work colleagues. Cuddy offered her house and invited the expectant couple for dinner which turned out to be the surprise shower.

Wilson gave them a beautiful wooden crib, Cuddy bought a matching high chair. Chase and Foreman chipped in on a deluxe stroller. The guys that worked with Kate presented them with a playpen, baby swing and car seat. Cameron filled an enormous basket with needed items: onesies, sleepers and disposable diapers in a variety of sizes to take the baby through the first year. Joanne, ever the teacher, gave them a selection of developmental toys, as well as bottles, feeding dishes and utensils, and other trinkets.

House and Kate were appreciative, but bewildered. They hadn't realized how much they needed for the baby. When they hauled everything home, it made their apartment look like the stockroom at Babies 'R' Us. That's when they came to a new realization: "We need a bigger place!"

House was the one who suggested they buy a house. Kate was hesitant, wondering if he really wanted to make that much of a commitment.

He poked her pregnant stomach and said, "I think I'm pretty committed already."

They began to spend weekends at open houses. Kate was adamant that it be a ranch style so that House wouldn't have to deal with stairs. That severely limited their choices. There was one, but at first they rejected it, because it was too big and it needed a lot of work. However, as they couldn't find anything else they liked, this house seemed more and more attractive. For one thing, it wasn't far from the hospital and since the baby was going to be in day care there, that was an important aspect. That also made it close to the university which would be helpful for Julie, the student they had interviewed for the nanny position.

The house was a ranch style, all one floor, but it was in an L shape. The front was the small part of the L and contained the kitchen, dining room and living room. There was a small family room off the kitchen. The long part of the L was four bedrooms and two bathrooms. The backyard was surrounded by the L, and the master bedroom had glass doors leading to the yard.

It was charming, but the fixtures in the kitchen and both bathrooms were old and worn out. The carpet throughout the house was not only old, but in atrocious colors that weren't even stylish in the 1970's when it had been installed. All the walls had wallpaper that was peeling and yellowed. The yard was overgrown as well.

They finally decided to buy it, but to do what they could to update it before moving in. So with that decided, House and Kate settled down to wait for the birth of their child.

**Note: Baby House will arrive in the next chapter!**


	18. Chapter 18: Time Has Come

Chapter 18

House and Kate were ready to make settlement on their new home September 5. The baby was due at the end of September, which would give them three weeks to get settled into the house before the baby came. Of course, being the child of Gregory House, predictable was not to be.

On the morning of September 1, Kate woke up feeling strange. She realized it was because she was lying in what seemed to be a puddle. Petrified, she woke House up.

"Greg, something's wrong!"

Her words penetrated his deep sleep. "What?" he asked, sitting up, "What's wrong?"

"There's water or something all around me. Is your side of the bed wet?"

"No, of course not…wait," he said, sudden realization hitting him. "Your water broke."

"That can't be. Water only breaks when the baby is ready to come. I've got three weeks left!"

"Don't think so. Water breaks, baby's coming. Call your doctor."

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An hour later, Kate was being admitted to the hospital. She had protested this with her doctor.

"I'm not in labor. I don't' have any pains at all. I feel perfectly fine."

"That may be so," Dr. Akiro replied, "But once your water breaks, the amniotic sac is broken and not protecting the baby. There is a chance of infection, so we have to keep you in the hospital where we can monitor you. Also, the chances are that you will be going into labor soon, so you might has well be here."

Kate had grumbled some more, but in the end she did what Akiro and House both told her to do. She was given a room at Princeton-Plainsboro. House sat with her for a while, but looked bored and kept getting calls from his team. Finally, Kate told him to go to his office and work.

"You're right here in the hospital. Once I go into labor, they can page you and you can be here within minutes."

He didn't want to leave her, but waiting like this was driving him crazy, so he agreed and went back to his office.

Kate spent the next few hours waiting. The doctor had encouraged her to walk around as much as she could, as that might bring on labor. So she walked. And whenever he could, House can back to Maternity and walked with her.

The day ended, night came on. Still, they waited. Kate eventually fell asleep. House did too, sitting in the chair beside her bed.

Just before dawn, a nurse came in and told them that Dr. Akiro wanted to start inducing labor and they brought her to the delivery rooms. They started to administer Pitocin to induce labor. She started to experience labor pains and the obstetrician was confident that the baby would come soon.

But the baby didn't. They gave her the Pitocin three times, but her cervix was no dilated enough for the baby to come out. Meanwhile, the labor pains, which are much worse when being induced, continued. She was also given an epidural for the pain, but there was no relief in sight.

By early evening, Kate was still not dilated enough for birth and the doctor was afraid to let the labor continue. She came into the room and asked if she could talk to them.

"I want to do a cesarean. I don't want her to continue in this much pain. Also, the water broke 36 hours ago and it might compromise the baby."

Kate looked at House. "Greg, what do you think?"

"C-sections are done all the time. They're usually pretty routine. But it is surgery and they do have to cut you open, so there's always a risk."

"Should we do it?" She was putting her trust in him.

House looked at the woman he loved. He had hated watching her in pain all day. Living with pain himself, he never wanted her to experience it. But he also didn't want to risk her life. And surgery, no matter how routine, was always a risk.

Kate as looking at him, trust in her eyes. She was trusting him to make the right decision. He tried to separate himself as a doctor, to forget this was his woman, his baby. What would he advise a patient to do?

"Have the C-section." He told her.

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House stood near Kate in the operating room as Dr. Akiro started the surgery. He didn't know if he wanted to be here beside her or far away in office waiting. But he knew he had to stay. The operation was proceeding normally, when suddenly the monitors began beeping. House turned his eyes towards the machines, checking to see what was wrong. Her heart was going into distress. The doctor was almost finished delivering the baby and the attendants were assisting her. They heard the monitor, but had to finish with the baby. House began immediate CPR on Kate. Within moments, her heart rate went back to normal.

House breathed a sigh of relief, even as he realized that he had told her to have the C-section and she had almost died. The nurses were getting Kate cleaned up, so he walked out of the operating room to take a breath. Dr. Akiro followed him.

She pulled off her mask and said, "This might have happened if she didn't have the C-section. And with all the pain she was going through, she might have been weaker and not able to come back as fast. You made the right decision."

"Yeah, well, it was seconds away from being the wrong one."

'But it wasn't. Kate will be fine. And also," she said with a smile, "will your daughter."

"Daughter?" House asked in amazement, having momentarily forgotten about the baby in his worry for Kate. "We have a daughter?"

Dr. Akiro smiled and nodded. House went back into the room, where the nurse was washing the baby. He went to her and looked at the child in her arms.

"Daughter." He said in wonder.

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Kate was holding her new daughter in her arms. The baby finally opened her eyes and Kate saw deep blue eyes that she had only seen once before.

"Guess you're Daddy's girl, aren't you?" Kate said and placed a kiss on her downy head.

**A/N: Please excuse any medical mistakes. As stated before, I'm not a medical professional in any sense of the word. Most of the pregnancy and birth, I took from my own experiences (except for the cardiac distress - didn't happen to me, thank God!). This was a rather short chapter, but I wanted to get the baby born. More fun to follow, so please stay tuned! Thanks again for the reviews.**


	19. Chapter 19: Hectic Days

Chapter 19

The baby was named Emily.

Both Kate and House were competent people, accustomed to long hours and hectic schedules. But nothing in their lives had prepared them for the whirlwind that occurred in the next few weeks.

House tried to move the settlement date back, but unfortunately, the sellers of the house had already moved out of state and were flying back to sign the papers and they couldn't change their plans. So the real estate agents, the title clerk and the sellers all met in Kate's hospital room to sign the papers.

He would have delayed moving into the new house, but he had already given notice to his landlord and had to be out by the end of the month. So while Kate rested in the hospital after her surgery, House prepared to complete the packing that Kate had started. When Wilson heard what he needed to do, he gathered everyone together to help. Over a weekend they got the packing done. Movers had already been hired, so they came and took everything to the house. A piano mover carefully moved House's piano. Carefully, because House supervised every minute of the move to be sure they did not damage his precious possession.

House was at a loss as to what to unpack. Joanne came over to help him and together they got the baby's room set up. When Kate walked into their new home, she was greeted by a living room and dining room filled with boxes. But the bed had been put together and made so that she could rest and the baby put in her crib.

The house turned out to need more work than they had anticipated. Every time they tried to put a room together, they found something that had to be done before they could finish it. Contractors, plumbers, electricians, and even a roofer were all scheduled and began arriving at intermittent times. House had a serious case at the hospital, which required long hours, leaving Kate to deal with recovery from surgery, a brand new baby, workmen swarming and unpacking.

Emily was a sweet baby, but she had inherited her father's stubbornness along with his blue eyes. She liked attention and wanted to be held –a lot.

After four weeks at home, Kate was exhausted. Emily didn't nap much, she was very alert and curious about her surroundings. On the few occasions when she did sleep, Kate tried to get some unpacking done, but usually was so tired, that she ended up falling asleep herself.

Kate was not by nature a patient person. She adored her daughter, but she felt like she was losing her mind. She was physically tired, emotionally drained and mentally at wit's end. There were workmen constantly drilling, banging, and hammering in her home. She was living out of boxes that never seemed to empty. Showering became a distant memory.

When the baby was eight weeks old, House came home early one day (having skipped out on clinic duty) to find Kate sitting in the middle of the living room floor. The baby was in a carrier on her chest, there was a box beside with its contents spread out around her. She hadn't showered or washed her hair in days and her eyes were bloodshot from lack of sleep and she had a headache from the contractors banging. She was wearing sweat pants and one of House's t-shirts. She'd been wearing those same clothes for several days. Her feet were bare.

She looked up at him as he came in and sat down in a chair near her.

"How we doing?" He asked cautiously.

"How does it look? God, if one more thing goes wrong, I'm going to shoot someone. I may be on leave, but I still have my gun."

House made a mental note to hide it immediately.

"I look like a…a…I don't even know what I look like, but it ain't good! I feel like something the cat dragged in, dragged out again, ran around the neighborhood with and dragged back in again. If they don't stop banging on that pipe, there will be one less plumber in the world." She said, raising her voice at the last, hoping the man in question heard her. Then she looked down at Emily. "This is the only good part. She's demanding, but she's wonderful." She kissed the top of the baby's head. "She makes it all worth it."

House looked at her. She did indeed look like hell. It made him want to say only one thing to her:

"Marry me."

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Kate looked at him in total shock. She tried to speak, but was at a loss for words.

"I'm an arrogant jerk. Too many people have told me that for it not to be true. I'm crippled and even with rehab, still in need of pain medication on a regular basis. I'm selfish, childish and all together the worst person that you could ever be with. Yet, for some reason you claim to love me and you've given birth to my beautiful daughter." He reached out and touched Emily's soft hand. "I know that I don't deserve you and will never do better than you, ever. And I will never love anyone as much. So, even though you should say, no, no way in the world, I'm, asking you to please marry me."

Kate was not a woman who cried. She saw tears as a weakness, something she had fought against being her entire life. Anytime she thought about crying, she pushed past it and held strong. At that moment, tears ran down her face and she didn't care.

In a shaky whisper, she said, "That's the most amazing thing you've ever said to me."

House looked at her. He wasn't sure what she was saying to him. "Is that your answer or do you need to think about it?"

She smiled and said, "My answer is yes."

**A/N: I know it's another short one, but I promise to update tomorrow at the latest. I needed to separate this from the next one which will be a House wedding!**


	20. Chapter 20: Check

Chapter 20

House and Kate agreed that their wedding would not be the traditional type. Neither of them wanted people to make a fuss about it. They thought, briefly, about just eloping and getting it over with, but somehow that didn't seem right either. They still wanted it to be special, just not fussy or fancy.

"But what do we want? Do we want friends to be there? Do we want just maid of honor and best man? What will work?" Kate asked.

House groaned. "God, if I don't invite these people, they'll make me miserable. They seem to believe that intruding on your personal life is their right."

"Yeah, and they call that friendship. Go figure." Kate said. "Well, I guess the first thing to do would be to find a place to have it that wouldn't make me puke."

"Puking at your own wedding could be bad."

Since it was a beautiful fall Sunday morning, they decided to take a drive. They strapped Emily into her car seat and set off. They rambled through the back roads of New Jersey and soon found themselves on Route 202 and crossing the Delaware River into Pennsylvania. They drove through the quaint town of New Hope, PA and decided to find a place for lunch. As New Hope was full of antique shops, art galleries and cozy inns and restaurants, that wasn't hard. House stopped the car when Kate exclaimed at an old stone house. The small sign outside announced it as 'Marsden House – built 1754'.

"Wow," Kate said, "That place is beautiful."

"Sign says they're serving lunch, wanna go in?" House asked.

"Absolutely."

It was beautiful. The house was very old, but had obviously been well built. The stone exterior had weathered to a soft grey. The doors and windows were framed in dark mahogany that had been lovingly preserved. A parking valet took the car from them and they walked into the house. There was a vestibule where they were greeted by a hostess who quietly led them into a larger room that would have been the drawing room when the house was first built. They were given a table by a window that looked out on a wonderful view of the gardens. Even though it was autumn, there were chrysanthemums in bloom in an array of yellows, golds, and fuschias.

Kate wasn't usually entranced, but something about the house touched her. Her life had very little permanence in it. She and her mother had moved a lot. After her mother died, there had been too many foster homes. She had lived in a run down apartment that was more a place to keep her stuff than a home. Suddenly her life was growing roots. A baby, a house, and a man whom she loved to share it all with her. She appreciated the permanence of a place like Marsden House. It was a nice symbol of where her life was going.

As she read the menu for her lunch choice, she saw a small notice at the bottom: Rooms available for private parties. She looked around the room with it's elegant restored wallpaper, stone fireplace and wood beams, she smiled.

"This is it." She said.

"That's good. If I knew what it was, it would be even better." House replied.

"No, this is the place."

He looked at her as if she were losing her mind and patted her hand. "Yes, this is the place we are now. Later, we'll be somewhere else. Do you want me to let you know when that happens?"

She ignored his quips and cast glances around the room. "This is the place for our wedding!"

He continued to look at her as if she was crazy. "You expect everyone to come all the way to New Hope to see us get married?"

"It's only about a forty minute drive when you come straight here. It's not that bad."

"This place is probably booked months, hell, years in advance. But that's good, we can schedule it for Emily's college break, so she won't miss it."

"We could ask. You never know. There might be something for the spring. Spring would be nice here. We could get married in the spring." Kate said hopefully.

House rolled his eyes. "Sure, let's get the Mormon Tabernacle choir to sing as well."

She just stared at him, then said. "Please?"

He rolled his eyes again and as the waiter approached, asked, "How do we find out about having a private party here?"

"You would have to speak to our event coordinator. Usually, she's not here on Sunday, but as it happens, she is here today. Would you like me to tell her you wish to meet with her?"

"Yes!" Kate said enthusiastically.

They had just finished eating when a woman came to their table and introduced herself. "Hello, I'm Pat Anderson. Kevin said you wanted to plan a party?"

"Actually, our wedding." Kate replied before House could make any comments.

Pat smiled. "Weddings here are lovely. May I sit?" Kate nodded and Pat took a seat at their table, smiling at them and the baby that House was cuddling. "Large or small?"

"Small." House said. "Very small."

"We have a small dining room that can accommodate up to 25 people comfortably."

"That would be perfect." Kate said excitedly.

"Well, I must tell you that all of our rooms are booked for at least eighteen months in advance. When were you planning on getting married?"

Kate's face fell. She didn't want to wait a year and a half to marry House. "We were hoping for this spring."

Pat shook her head. "I'm sorry, I don't think we'd be able to do anything for you then."

"Oh, well, that's really a shame. This place is so perfect."

"Yes, most people feel that way. That's why we're booked. I really am sorry." Pat started to rise. "It's a shame you can't get married this Friday night."

"Why?" Kate asked.

"Because we just had a cancellation. That's why I'm working today. A wedding that was planned over two years ago and they just called it off. The bride called me on my cell this morning. I came in to try to book another party."

"Don't you have a waiting list?"

"Yes, but no one is prepared to have their event in five days. I don't like cancelling my staff this late. They depend on their work hours being constant. Also, food and flowers have already been ordered, some things are already here. We'll pay a cancellation penalty for everything. Even with keeping the deposit, we still end up losing money. And even though this place has a lot of bookings, it's also expensive to maintain. We don't like to lose money."

Kate looked at House and smiled slightly.

"You can't be serious." he said.

"Why not?" she replied.

"We couldn't do it."

"Maybe we could."

House turned to Pat. "Since you've already bought stuff and would lose money without a party here, if someone did take it, could they get, say, a discount?"

Pat looked at the intense blue eyes that were staring at her. "I think we could work something out that would be beneficial to all involved."

"How beneficial?"

"Okay, let me lay it out for you. If you agreed to use the menu and the flowers that have already been ordered, I could give you those at our cost. Then we won't lose money on them. I could give you the room at a discount of twenty percent. I have to charge full price for the open bar, if you want that."

House looked at Kate. She smiled at him again, then turned to Pat. "What are the menu and the flowers?"

"They had selected surf and turf for dinner, petite filet mignon and baby lobster tails. They would start with escarole soup, followed by Caesar salad. Dessert is tiramisu."

House's mouth was watering and he nodded. "I can go for that."

"Flowers? " Kate asked.

"This is why this would cost us. They had ordered roses. Roses aren't easy to get in Pennsylvania in November. Pale pink and deep red roses with grey satin ribbon."

Kate smiled again and looked at House. "That won't make me puke."

"This isn't going to be easy to do."

"I know, but if we can pull it off, it would be the perfect wedding. And our friends wouldn't have time to fuss over it."

"There is that." He said.

Pat took them to see the small dining room. There was a large stone fireplace that dominated the room. There were three long mahogany tables.

"We can arrange them however you would like. One long table or three separate. Most people seem to like a U shape arrangement, with the bride and groom and their attendants at the bottom of the U and the guests around the sides."

House thought for a minute, then said, "Pat, can we hold this and call you later? Maybe tomorrow morning?"

"Absolutely. I told you, I can't find anyone else to take it on short notice. I'll be glad to work with you on it."

She gave them a few more details that they would need, and her business card. They left with their heads reeling and drove home making a million plans.

As soon as they got home, House dialed Wilson's number. When he answered, House said without greeting, "What are you doing Friday night?"

"I don't know, I might have a date, but…"

"Good, bring her."

"Bring her where?"

"Dinner party. 8 PM. I'll give you the address tomorrow."

"But…"

"Can you be there?"

"I guess, but…"

"Good. See you."

Kate called Joanne.

"Oh, hello, Katie dear. How are you and that lovely little girl?"

"We're all fine. Do you have plans for Friday night?"

"No, I don't think so. No, I'm free. Why? Do you need a babysitter?"

"Nope. Dinner party."

"You're having a party? How nice. At your house?"

"No, it's still a mess. I'll give you the location tomorrow. Just wanted to see if you could come."

"Yes, of course I can."

"Great. I'll talk to you tomorrow." She hung up and smiled at House. "Maid of honor and best man, check."

Next, House called Cuddy's voice mail at the hospital to tell her that he had family business in the morning and would be late. He usually didn't care about being late, but he didn't want her trying to call his home or cell.

"All set for getting the license." He told Kate.

"Check." She said.

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At 9 AM Monday morning, they were at the county courthouse applying for their marriage license. They filled out the paperwork, paid their fee and were told the license would be ready and valid on Thursday. They smiled, looked at each other and said, "Check."

Later that morning, House entered the hospital and made his way to Cuddy's office. She looked up when he entered. She had been surprised that he actually called to say he would be late, and she was concerned.

"Is everything alright? Kate and the baby?"

"No, everything's fine. We just had some personal business we had to do. Here." He said, thrusting a slip of paper at her.

"What's this?" she asked.

"Address where we're having a dinner party on Friday."

She looked at the paper, then back at him. "You're having a dinner party in New Hope?"

"Yep. Can you come?"

"I guess so."

"Good. Dress up. A great time to put the twins on display."

He left her office with a smirk, whispering to himself, "Check."

Meanwhile, Kate was at home, calling Joanne. When the woman answered, she said, "Write this down." She gave her the address of Marsden, but not the name.

"Alright," Joanne said. "I wrote it down. What is it?"

"The address of our dinner party. Give it to the guys as well."

Joanne knew what Kate meant by "the guys"—the two cops that Kate considered her friends on the force.

"I can do that. Is there anything else."

"Just tell them to dress up. Oh, and do you still have that pale pink dress you wore to the police benefit last year?"

"Yes, of course I do."

"Good, wear it. Tell everyone 8 PM, don't be late."

Joanne agreed and said goodbye. Kate smiled and kissed Emily while saying, "Check."

House walked into the conference room where his team were at their normal activities. Cameron was sorting mail, Foreman was reading a medical journal, Chase was doing a crossword puzzle.

House looked at them and said, "I need all of you to meet me Friday evening at this address." He passed a piece of paper to them across the conference table.

"What for?" Chase asked.

"I'm your boss. When I tell you to be somewhere, you go."

"We're off duty Friday. Unless there's a patient." Foreman said.

"Maybe there's a patient there."

Cameron said, "You'd make him come here. You'd never travel to…" she looked at the paper. "…New Hope to see him."

"Wow, you're smart." House answered. "Okay, it's a dinner party. Be there at 8, get dressed up. And if you're planning on bringing a date, let me know."

"A party?" Chase said. "You're inviting us to a party?"

"Yeah, I bet even in Aussie land people get together over a camp fire and roast koala bears." House quipped.

"Why are you having a party?" Cameron asked.

He mock-cried and pulled a face, "Because I love you guys so much and want to spend every waking minute with you."

"Please," Foreman said, "Leave us with some appetite for the dinner."

"So you're coming?" House asked.

They agreed that they would. House went into his office, closed the door and said, "Check, check and check."

He knew it was only a matter of time before Wilson came to see him. When he did, House passed him a slip of paper.

"What's this?" Wilson asked.

"Address for the party."

"You're having a dinner party in New Hope?"

"Why does everyone keep asking me that? Is there a law against having parties in New Hope? Do the artists attack?"

"No, I just never saw you as a New Hope kind of person."

"Hey, I've looked at an antique before. Lots of times."

"Sure, every time you look in a mirror. Oh, wait, you don't do that much."

"Ooh, good one. Insult the old cripple. Are you coming?"

"I said I would."

"Okay. Do you have a grey suit?"

"Yes, what shade of grey?"

"There's more than one?"

"Of course."

"And you probably have a suit in every one of them."

"Well…"

"You're pathetic. Doesn't matter, you pick one."

"Why do you want me to wear a grey suit?"

"Because I don't want you to clash with me. I'll be wearing a mauve evening dress."

Wilson gave up and left the office.

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That evening, House babysat while Kate went shopping. She hated shopping for clothes for herself and she didn't want anything that screamed bride. White and virginal was out. She had passed that phase long ago. Ruffles and frills were wrong too. And considering the color scheme that they were locked into, selecting the right color would be a challenge as well. She passed by many dresses before she found one that was perfect.

She smiled and said, "Check."

The next night, they asked Joanne to babysit while Kate forced House to buy a new suit. He grumbled and complained, but finally went along with her choice.

Check again.


	21. Chapter 21: And Mate

Chapter 21

On Friday evening, the guests arrived at Marsden House and were amazed at the quiet elegance of the old house. It didn't seem like the type of place that House would have a dinner party at, but there was no mistaking the address. Their cars were parked by the valets and their coats were taken by the coat check. Then they were led to the room where the party would take place.

As each guest entered the small dining room, they were greeted by a hostess who took their names, checked them off a list and directed them to help themselves to drinks. They were more amazed to see the beautiful stone fireplace decorated with pale pink and deep red roses and trimmed with grey satin ribbon. It seemed to be set up for something, but no one could guess what. They found seats at the table with place cards listing their names.

When Wilson arrived, wearing a charcoal grey suit, as requested, she said to him, "Dr. Wilson, could you please go through that door?"

She indicated a door to the right of the fireplace.

"Why?" he asked.

"Dr. House has requested that you meet him there."

Assuming that House needed his help with the party, Wilson went through the door. There he found House waiting for him. But it was House's appearance that made him speechless. He was wearing a pearl grey suit with a snow white shirt and a deep red tie. There was a deep red rose pinned to his lapel. His hair was combed and trimmed and he was even wearing grey dress shoes! The suit and tie made his blue eyes shimmer from his cleanly shaven face. Wait! Wilson rubbed his eyes. Was he seeing things? House had shaved?

He finally found his voice. "What's going on? Are you feeling alright?"

"Feeling great." House said. "Well, actually, a little nervous, but that's normal I guess. You'd probably know that better than me, considering your experience with this."

"Experience with what? Dinner parties?"

"Nope. Weddings."

"Weddings? Are you telling me…?"

"Yep. I'm getting married tonight. How do you feel about being my best man?"

Wilson was stunned. "You're getting married? And you never told me?"

"We just decided."

"No way. You could never have gotten this place on short notice."

"And yet we did."

"This is too unbelievable, even for you!"

"Does that mean you don't want to be my best man?" House asked snippily, but there was a hint of concern in his eyes. It never occurred to him that Wilson wouldn't want to do it. Who else could he ask to be best man?

Wilson saw the look. "Of course I want to be your best man. I just would have hoped to get more notice than about five minutes."

"Come on, you work well under pressure."

Almost the same scene was being enacted in the small room to the left of the fireplace, where Kate was informing Joanne that she was her Maid of Honor.

"Katie, are you telling me that you planned an entire wedding in one week? And that you want me to be your attendant without giving me any notice?"

Kate looked sheepish. "That's about it."

"Katherine Martin, that is appalling! If I didn't love you as much as I do, I would walk right out of here and refuse to go along with this little game."

"Jo, you won't do that." Kate tried to appease her friend. She knew she was in trouble when Joanne called her Katherine.

"No, of course, I won't. But expect a lecture concerning this later." Then she went to Kate and hugged her. "But I am happy for you. And for Gregory. Does he know what a wonderful girl he's getting?"

Kate smiled at being called a girl. "I think so. But I'm getting a good man as well."

"Yes, you are."

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At a few minutes past eight, the hostess signaled to a woman who had been sitting by herself in the corner. She rose from her seat and moved to the center of the fireplace. The hostess asked all of the guests to put their drinks on the tables and to gather around the fireplace. When they had all done so, the woman standing in the center, introduced herself.

"Good evening. I am Martha Abernathy. You have all been invited here this evening to witness the marriage of Greg and Kate." She paused when the astonished guests began to speak at once. Then she raised her hand to signal for silence. "I am the justice of the peace and I will be presiding over the ceremony." Once all of the people had calmed down, she nodded to the hostess who knocked on the door at the right. Wilson and House entered the room. House's appearance amazed everyone. They had never seen him look so dashing. He walked in slowly, leaning on a silver cane decorated with deep red roses and satin ribbon.

Once the men had taken their places on the right side of Martha, she nodded to the hostess again and the knock was repeated for the door on the right. Joanne entered the room pushing the stroller where Emily sat dressed in a pink lace dress with a deep red ribbon around her chubby waist. There was a matching baby headband on her downy head. Her curious blue eyes were surveying the room. House smiled at his daughter. The guests were entranced.

After Joanne and Emily had taken their places, the bride entered. Kate wore a deep red silk dress. It skimmed the top of her breasts in a square cut. The sleeves were tight and went to the top of her elbows. It flowed down her body and ended just below her knee in a flaired skirt. There were no decorations on it. She carried a small mix of red and pink long stem roses in her arms.

She walked in slowly. House couldn't take his eyes off of her. She had never looked lovelier and he couldn't believe this amazing woman actually wanted to marry him. He had been nervous earlier, but now he just wanted to get it done, before she came to her senses and ran screaming from the room.

When she reached the center of the room, House stepped forward and took her hand. Their eyes met and both smiled. They turned to Martha and she began the ceremony.

"Friends, you have all been invited because you are important to Greg and Kate and they wish for you to share the joy of their marriage ceremony."

She began the reading the vows and asked the bride and groom to repeat them.

Kate said, "I, Kate, take you, Greg, to be my husband. I will be true to you in sickness and health, richer or poorer, for better or worse, until death." She smiled at him.

House opened his mouth to begin his recitation of the vows and suddenly couldn't speak. His throat closed up and emotion filled him. He felt that if he tried to speak he would break down and cry. He tried swallowing a few times, hoping to find his voice.

Kate watched him, wondering what was happening. Had he changed his mind? The guests were thinking the same thing. Wilson, standing beside him, realized that he was having difficulty. He reached out a hand and put it on House's arm. House turned and looked at Wilson. The younger man smiled at him and nodded. House smiled in return, then turned back to his bride.

"I, Greg, take you, Kate, to be my wife. I will be true to you in sickness and health, richer or poorer, for better or worse, until death."

There was a collective sigh from the guests, relieved that he had gone through with it.

Martha asked them for the rings. They had each given the wedding band to their attendants. Kate retrieved one from Joanne, House did the same with Wilson. They slipped the plain gold bands on each others fingers, saying, "With this ring, I take you for the rest of my life."

Martha smiled and said, "By the power vested in me by the states of Pennsylvania and New Jersey, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now share your first married kiss."

House reached for Kate and pulled her into his arms. They shared a long kiss that would have been longer, except that everyone started cheering. They broke apart, smiling. Emily started fussing, so Kate picked her up and together they both kissed her as well.

Martha said, "I now introduce to you, for the first time, Doctor and Mrs. House!"

The guests cheered again, then everyone gathered around the bride and groom for kisses and well wishes. House held on to Kate's hand, afraid to let go of her.

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Several hours later, House and Kate lay in each others' arms after having made love for the first time as a married couple. They would take a honeymoon sometime later, but for now there was too much to do. They were just happy to be together.

"I was afraid you were about to back out." Kate said, reminding him of his hesitation.

"Never." He responded, embarrassed about his actions.

"It's alright," she said. "I understand. I think it was sweet and wonderful that you felt so much you couldn't speak."

He was silent for several moments, just looking at her. "I love you. I always will."

She smiled and snuggled closer to him.


	22. Chapter 22: Surprise

**Hi folks! Sorry for the delay in updating, life sort of got in the way. Not to mention the site problems. By the way, thanks to CausticChick for telling me how to post during the site problems. This story is not over. Lots of pain, excitement, etc for House and Kate. Thanks for all the reviews, both positive and constructive. I appreciate it and want to keep going with this.**

Chapter 22

Emily was six months old and House was actually feeling happy and content with his life. Which, of course, meant to him that something was bound to happen to mess things up. He wasn't wrong.

Cuddy had browbeaten him into doing his weekly clinic hours and he was just returning to his office when he almost ran into Cameron.

"Oh, good," she said, "You're here. I was going to go down to find you."

"Why?" he asked, fearing a new case would keep him at work when he really wanted to get home.

"You had an important message from your mother."

House immediately wished that there was a case. A message from his mother was never good news, especially right now.

Cameron continued, ignoring the anxious look that he gave her. "She asked me to tell you that she and your father would be stopping to see you tonight. Your father has a reunion in Washington this weekend for the Marines, but they need to pick up a friend of his who lives in Delaware. So they flew in to Philadelphia and rented a car. They're driving up to see you tonight, then they'll head to his friend's and the reunion."

"I can't see my parents tonight!" House was desperate.

"You'll have to. They don't have a cell phone and they're already on the road. Your father didn't want to wait. That's why she left the message."

"When did she call?"

"About forty-five minutes ago."

House picked up his helmet and headed down to his bike, wondering how he was going to get out of this. It was only a couple hours drive from Philly. They would probably be arriving at his house by early evening. That didn't give him much time. He could pretend that he never got the message, but knowing his mother she would check with Cameron and find out that she had given it to him. No matter what, he knew he was in big trouble.

Kate was home when he got there, feeding the baby. He greeted her with a long kiss, holding her longer than the greeting usually called for.

"What's up?" she asked.

"I love you." He answered.

"I love you too. So, what's up?"

"I just want you to remember that I love you."

"I know you do."

"I mean, I really love you. You don't have to ever doubt that."

"Greg, you're scaring me. What the hell is going on?"

He hesitated, tapping his cane on the floor a few times, before finally saying, "My parents are coming to visit."

"Oh." She replied. "It will be good to meet them." She wasn't sure if it was. She knew that House didn't get along well with them and she didn't know what they would think about her.

"They're coming tonight."

"Tonight? Well, the house isn't a total wreck, so I guess we can handle it." She was about to say she wondered if she could, then she looked at him and sensed there was something else on his mind. "What aren't you telling me?'

He took a deep breath. "I, um, haven't really talked to them in a while. And I've sort of not really told them about certain things."

"What things?"

He limped to the cabinet, pulled out the bottle of scotch and poured himself a drink. She watched him.

"What things, Greg?" she asked again.

He swallowed a large amount of scotch before answering. Then he looked down at the floor and said, "Everything."

She was confused. "What do you mean, 'everything'? Do you mean about us getting married?"

"Yes."

"But I thought you told me that they couldn't make it on such short notice. Are you saying you never called them?"

"Yes."

"Well, it'll be a surprise to them, but hopefully they won't be too upset. After all, it was really quick."

He took another large gulp of scotch and continued to look at the floor.

"Is there more, Greg?"

"Yes."

"What else haven't you told them?"

He didn't answer. She thought for a moment, then said, "Emily? Are you saying you never told them about Emily?"

"Yes."

She was shocked. "You didn't tell your parents that you have a daughter? I don't have parents, haven't for a really long time, but I think, if I did, I would tell them they were grandparents."

House didn't say anything, just drank more scotch.

Kate looked at him, understanding finally dawning. "They don't know about me either, do they? They don't know that we're together at all?"

"No."

Kate sat down. A million thoughts were going through her head. Two people were coming to her house tonight who didn't know that she and her daughter even existed. Her husband, whom she loved, had never told his own parents about them. Something occurred to her.

"Wait, how will they find you? Do they know about the house?"

"Yes."

"Do you mean you told them that you bought a house and the address, but you never told them about your wife and daughter?"

"Yes."

Kate was angry now. "Stop giving me those goddamn one word answers and explain to me why you would do this."

He continued to look at the floor.

Tears began to form in her eyes. "Are you so ashamed of me that you don't want your parents to know about me? That you don't want them to know you had a daughter with someone like me?"

His head shot up as he finally looked into her eyes. "NO! I am not ashamed of you. I could never be ashamed of you or Emily." He glanced at the baby who was playing with her bowl and spoon in the high chair.

'Then why?"

"There are so many things, I just can't…" he stopped at the look she gave him.

"I know you can't. We've been together almost two years and you've never really opened up to me. I know you love me, but you don't really trust me."

"Of course I do."

"Greg, I bared my soul to you. No one else in the world knows what you know about me. But you barely talk about your childhood and never about your parents. I know there are issues there and pain and hurt. I can see it in your eyes. But you never tell me anything about it."

Those eyes looked at her, then back down at the floor.

She scooped the baby out of the chair and headed down the hall towards the bedroom.

"I'll get her cleaned up and dressed before she meets her grandparents." Kate said quietly.

"Kate…" he started.

She stopped him. "We don't have time to get into this now. They'll be here soon. But we will get into this later."

She left the room, leaving him alone with the scotch and his thoughts.

Ten minutes later, the doorbell rang.


	23. Chapter 23: Meet the Parents

Chapter 23

House reluctantly limped to the door. He opened it to find John and Blythe House on the other side. His mother smiled and reached up to kiss and hug her son.

"Hi Mom," he said, adding "Dad."

He stepped away from the door and they walked into the room.

"Such a lovely house, Greg." Blythe said.

His father looked around derisively. "Kinda big for one person, wouldn't you say?"

That was his cue and he figured he better take it.

"I'm not living here alone."

Both parents studied his face, waiting for him to continue. When he did, his voice was almost a whisper. "I'm living here with my wife."

His mother stared at him in shock, unable to speak. His father, however, was not so reticent. "Goddamn it, boy! You got married and never told your mother?"

House noticed that he did not say 'never told us.' He didn't expect otherwise.

He looked at the floor and replied, "It was sort of fast."

"Why? Did you knock her up?" his father spat out.

"Why I got married is none of your business." House shot back.

"John, Greg, please!" his mother pleaded. She turned to her son. "Where is your wife? I'd like to meet her."

House looked away from his mother again. He knew this was going to hurt her. "It's not just my wife that you'll be meeting. It's my daughter as well."

His mother's look of shock faded into one of hurt. His father just shook his head and said, "See? I figured he knocked her up. She must be some kind of slut if you didn't want your mother to know about her."

House's head shot up. "You have no right to say anything about her. She's a better person than you'll ever be."

His father was stopped from responding by the sound of someone else coming into the room. They turned to find Kate standing there with Emily in her arms.

House hesitated, then moved up beside her. "Mom, Dad. This is my wife Kate. And this is our daughter, Emily. Kate, my parents."

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. House."

His mother's eyes began to fill with tears. "How old is Emily?"

Kate answered, "Six months."

Blythe turned to her son. "Greg, are you seriously telling me that you've had a daughter for six months and presumably knew she was coming for some months before that and didn't care enough to tell me?"

"It wasn't that I didn't care…"

His father interrupted. "What's wrong with your wife that you didn't want us to know about her or the kid?"

"There's nothing wrong with her. She's a terrific person and a great mother. And my daughter is…wonderful."

Kate looked at him, hesitant to get involved in this discussion.

"Then why are you ashamed of them?"

"It's not them that I'm ashamed of."

Blythe looked at her husband, then her son. "So it's us you're ashamed of?"

"Not you, Mom."

His father snorted. "Right. That figures. I was a lousy father. Well, you were no bargain as a son. Don't expect you'll be much better as a father yourself."

"I can't be much worse than you, so that gives me plenty of room."

House and his father continued to yell at each other. Blythe had tears pouring down her face by now. Emily was crying. Kate knew she had to do something. She was still learning what she had to know about being a wife, she knew even less about families. But she was a cop and she had faced her share of domestic disputes. She hated them, as did most cops, but the one thing she knew was her job.

She went to House's mother and handed the baby to her. "Could you hold Emily? I've got to stop a couple of idiots."

Blythe nodded as she took the baby and cuddled her close.

"Alright," Kate said in a voice louder than the ones yelling at each other. "That's enough. Both of you, shut up or I will use my gun. And I mean it!"

House glared at her, but knew by the look on her face that she was in serious cop mode. His father looked confused, but her statement puzzled him enough to silence him for the moment.

She continued, "Mr. House, go and sit in that chair." She pointed to an armchair by the door. "Greg, you go sit on the sofa." Both men just stared at her. "Do it NOW!" she added, her voice getting louder and more insistent.

House and John, grumbling a bit, both began to move. However, John went to the door and leaned against it and House hobbled over to the piano and sat on the bench. Kate just shook her head. Stubborn men.

"Okay, I won't begin to pretend that I understand all of what's going on here, but I do know some of it. Greg, it was lousy of you not to tell your parents about me and Emily. They deserved to know."

House opened his mouth to answer her, but she cut him off. "I don't want to hear it. We'll discuss it later." She turned to John. "Mr. House, you and your wife have every reason to be upset with Greg. However, you are in my house and in the presence of my daughter. I won't have this anger in front of her or in front of me. So if you two can't control yourselves, and act like civilized human beings, then I have no problem hauling you off to jail. You can both cool your heels in a cell tonight and then you might be more willing to discuss your problems."

John still looked confused at her words. House piped in. "Did I mention my wife is a cop?"

His parents both stared at him for a moment, understanding of her words now dawning. Kate, not about to let House get the last word, added, "Yeah, and I am a severely pissed cop right now. So, everyone better do what I say, got it?"

Everyone watched her, waiting to see if she had anything else to say. Even the baby had stopped crying. With their acquiescence, Kate felt some relief.

Blythe looked at Kate, warily. "May I say something?"

"Absolutely, Mrs. House."

"First of all, my name is Blythe. Second, Greg, you have behaved abominably." When her husband opened his mouth, she cut him off. "And you're not much better, John. You are not helping anything here by attacking Greg." She turned back to Kate. "Can you tell me how long you've been…" she broke off, not really sure what she wanted to ask.

"We met about two years ago, started dating, then had a rough patch for a bit, were apart. Then we weren't and we started living together. Emily was not planned, but we managed. Decided we needed a house, so we bought this place. She was born in September. A couple of months later, we decided to make it legal. That's about it."

John shook his head. "Most people get married, buy a house, have a baby in that order. You did the whole thing backwards."

"I'm not most people." House answered.

"We did what felt right for us." Kate added. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I could use a glass of wine. Anyone else?"

Over the wine, Blythe had time to coo over Emily. John still glowered, but managed to sit down. House kept his eyes downcast, tapping his cane on the floor between his legs. Kate kept watching all of them, making sure no more fireworks were going to explode.

Conversation was stilted and after an hour, John stood and told his wife they had to leave, "We're taking off early in the morning. Picking up my friend in Wilmington and I want to get there before dark."

Blythe was reluctant to let go of the baby, but finally handed her over to Kate, then gave the younger woman a swift hug, saying, "I'm glad he married you. You're exactly what he needs. And thank you for my beautiful granddaughter."

House rose and kissed his mother, shook hands with his father and watched as they left. He felt, all in all, that he had dodged the bullet on this one. It would be okay.

Then he looked up and saw his wife's face.


	24. Chapter 24: Harsh Words

Chapter 24

"I'm putting the baby to bed." Kate started to leave, Emily in her arms. "Don't think about escaping, we're talking about this when I come back."

"Great." House muttered under his breath as she went. "Can't wait."

When she returned, he was sitting at the piano, but not really playing, just picking out a few notes. She sat beside him and sighed heavily.

"From your sigh, I take it, you're not thrilled with me tonight."

"No, Greg, I am not."

He turned to look at her. "Not telling them was not about you. It wasn't that I was ashamed of you or Emily. It was about them and their response."

She was confused. "Your mother was hurt, naturally, but she was also thrilled. She didn't want to let Emily go."

"She's not the one I was worried about."

"Exactly. And why is it that I don't know this?"

He looked confused.

"Greg, I've known you almost two years. We share a house, a child, our lives! But you obviously have a problem with your father and I had no idea!"

"You wouldn't understand it."

"I realize that I don't have parents, hell, I've never had a father, but I think I could empathize with you a little." She hesitated. "I love you. I should be able to share your trouble, your pain. But you don't let me in."

He rose from the piano bench to limp across the room. "What do you want from me?"

"I want to be a part of your life!"

"You are."

"No, I'm not. Greg, I told you something about myself that no one knows. I'd never spoken the words aloud before I told you. But I know next to nothing about your childhood, your fears, your pain."

"You can see my pain everyday." He shot back.

"Right, I see it –on your face, in your eyes. But when I ask you, you say it's nothing. Then you pop your pills and that's it."

"I pop a hell of lot less pills since I met you."

"No, since Emily was on the way. And that was your decision, I never forced you. But don't you understand that your pain is my pain? When I told you about my childhood, I could see on your face how it affected you. Don't you think I would feel the same way?"

House didn't know what to say, he was uncomfortable with this entire conversation. "I don't talk about my feelings or even my past very often."

"Yes, I know, that's part of the problem." She looked down at the piano keys while she continued. "Before I met you, I never had a successful romantic relationship in my life. Even friends were few and far between, I can count them on one hand. Part and parcel of my upbringing.

"But when we got together, suddenly everything changed for me. For the first time, I wasn't afraid to open myself up to another person. I wasn't afraid to have a baby with him…okay, I was afraid. But I was more afraid to not have his baby, because I knew that would be the bigger mistake."

She stood up and walked over to where he stood. "I let you in. But you haven't let me in. And until you do, I can't see a future for us."

Her words hit him. "What do you mean by that?"

"Until you make me a part of your life, in every way, then I think we need to be apart. It's all or nothing with me. And if you can't give yourself to me, how can you give yourself to your daughter? She deserves more from a father."

She was right about that, he thought. He also suspected that he would be a lousy father, now Kate was showing him how true that was.

"Emily and I will be okay. If you don't want to be a part of our lives, then, fine, you go your way, we'll go ours. You can see Emily when you want. We can work it out."

A cold chill was seeping through his blood at her words. House knew that happiness was fleeting and he had been surprised at how long it had lasted with Kate and the baby.

"If that's what you want." He told her.

"It's not what I want, but it's what I have to do to survive."

"Fine. I'll move out in the morning. I can sleep in the guest room tonight, if that's alright with you."

Kate nodded, unable to speak.

"Okay, I'll go and pack." With that, he hobbled out and towards the bedroom.

Kate sat down on the sofa, buried her head in her hands and sobbed.


	25. Chapter 25: Stalemate

**A/N: Sorry for the delay. This chapter and the next are the hardest ones to write. House needs to open up and getting him to do that and stay in character are a challenge. I greatly admire all you wonderful fan fiction writers who do such a terrific job with these stories. I've been writing for years, but doing an original story and keeping in character is very hard. So those who do it well are to be admired. I am trying to keep him the House we all know and love, as well as to write an interesting story.**

**Thanks for the reviews as well. I do appreciate the support.**

Chapter 25: Stalemate

House limped into Wilson's office the next day and looked at his friend without speaking. Wilson looked up from his desk and asked, "What's up?"

House sat down. "How's your new apartment?"

Wilson smiled. "It's great. I'm still unpacking, since I've only been there a few days, but it's great to have my own place again."

"So you have all new furniture and all?"

"Yep. Bought new bedroom, living room and kitchen furniture."

House hesitated, then said. "Is a comfortable sofa in that new living room?"

Wilson looked at his friend and saw the pain in his eyes for the first time. "Why are you asking? What's wrong?"

"Just seeing if that sofa is comfortable enough to sleep on."

"For who to sleep on?"

"Me."

Wilson shook his head sadly. "What did you do?"

House shot his head up. "What makes you think I did something?"

"Hello? I am acquainted with you. If I had to lay odds on who screwed up, all my money goes on you."

"Lot of faith you have in your friend. Look, forget it. I'll find someplace else to go." House got up from the chair and headed for the door.

"Of course you can stay with me." Wilson said.

House nodded and started out, but turned once to say, "Thanks."

As soon as he was gone, Wilson picked up his phone.

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At the police station, Kate and Joanne were in the employee lunchroom eating. Or at least, Joanne was eating. Kate was playing with her sandwich.

"So," Joanne said, "How long before you tell me what's wrong?"

Kate looked at her. "You've told me that you don't read minds, but I think you do. How do you always know when there's something wrong?"

"Oh, honey, years of dealing with children's problems. Not to mention that I know you very well."

Kate smiled at her friend, then went back to playing with the sandwich.

"Katie?" Joanne prompted quietly.

Without looking up, Kate said, "Greg moved out."

"Oh, no. What did you do?"

Kate sat back. "What makes you think I did something?"

"Because I know that temper of yours. And your tendency to speak without thinking. I also know how much that man loves you."

"Not that much, apparently."

"Do you want to tell me about it?"

"Not yet. There's a lot I need to process first." She looked at the sandwich again. "I'm not really hungry. I need to go question that witness. I'll talk to you later."

Joanne just nodded as Kate left the room. She quickly finished her lunch and returned to her desk.

She was just about to dial a number on her phone when she saw the light indicating that she had a message. She smiled, knowing who it was from.

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"Jimmy, I don't know. She wouldn't tell me anything." Joanne said, exasperation in her voice.

Wilson ran his hand through his hair as he cradled the receiver. "It's got to be him. He knows how to screw up good things better than anyone I know."

"She's no angel either. I've seen her temper get her into plenty of uncomfortable situations."

"Well, he's going to be staying with me, so I'll see what I can out of him."

"I'll do the same with her. And I'll talk to you in a few days to see where this stands."

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Three weeks later.

"Joanne, has she said anything? Because he won't tell me a thing."

Joanne sighed. "Actually, she did tell me some of it."

Wilson started to ask, "Well, what…"

She interrupted him. "Don't even ask. She knows I talk to you and she made me promise not to tell you. She wants Gregory to tell you himself. She said if he does, then he'll be facing the problems and maybe they can work them out."

Wilson rolled his eyes. "He'll never admit a thing. He's the most stubborn man alive!"

"I know, but there's nothing we can do until they start talking about the problem."

"This is so crazy. They really love each other and they belong together."

"Jimmy, I absolutely agree with you. But it's out of our hands."

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House missed his wife and daughter. He couldn't admit this to anyone. But late at night, laying awake on Wilson's sofa, he knew how much he missed them. Since Emily was in the day care center at the hospital, he went to see her there every day. He also spent every Sunday afternoon with her. But it wasn't the same as singing her to sleep each night and seeing her pixie face each morning when he woke up.

And Kate. He had gotten so used to her warm body beside him at night. He slept so well when they slept together. He missed her cop stories and the way she reacted to his stories about the hospital.

He hadn't discussed the separation with his team, but they knew right away that something was different. Eventually Wilson let them know what was going on, but made them swear not to let House know he'd told them. They tried to have patience with him, but he was even more miserable than he had been before Kate entered his life. Ultimately, they stayed out of his way as much as possible.

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Kate missed House as well. Their big bed felt empty without him. She kept waiting to hear his slow gait and the thump of his cane as walked through the house. She couldn't manage to practice her piano lessons without him correcting her and she missed listening to him play. And every time she looked at her daughter's blue eyes, she felt a deep sadness fill her.

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Wilson tried to talk to House, but every time he brought up Kate, House clammed up and refused to discuss it. Wilson knew that his friend was hiding something, but there was no way to get through to him. Joanne still refused to betray Kate's confidence, so there was nothing Wilson could do.

Joanne also tried talking to Kate, to get her to approach her husband and force him to face the problems, but Kate was adamant that House had to come to the realization himself.

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Three months had passed since House had moved out. They barely saw or talked to each other. When he spent Sundays with Emily, they coolly greeted each other. Usually, Kate went out to go grocery shopping or something on those days, so that House could spend the time with Emily at the house. He liked to take the opportunity to play his beloved piano. He knew he should get a place of his own so that he could have the piano moved there, but that would mean admitting the marriage was over. He wasn't ready to do that.

Unfortunately, he was also not ready to discuss the problems.


	26. Chapter 26: Needing Someone

**A/N: Sorry for the delay. These chapters are hard to write, but I think I'm on target with them. Of course, I would be faster if I wasn't constantly being distracted by everyone else's wonderful stories...**

Chapter 26: Needing Someone

House was sitting in his office, looking up an article on his computer when Wilson came in, out of breath.

"Training for the marathon, Wilson? Or has the latest lady love made you breathless?"

Wilson stopped a minute to catch his breath, then said, "I'm not supposed to be telling you this, but, dammit, you should know."

"Sorry, Jimmy, I've told you before, I like women. There's no future for us."

"House, Kate is here."

House turned back to the computer. "She's allowed to come here. After all, Emily is …"

Wilson interrupted him. "No, I mean she's here as a patient."

House looked up quickly. "What are you talking about?"

"She had me paged to ER. Seems she wouldn't let them treat her."

House smiled briefly. "Yeah, that's definitely her." Then he sobered, realizing that she called his best friend instead of him. "Is she okay?"

"Yes, just a mild concussion. But she's going to need you."

"She doesn't want me."

"House, she's your wife. She's been hurt. You need to go to her." When House still didn't move, he yelled, "NOW!"

Finally, House rose from the chair, took his cane and indicated that Wilson should lead the way.

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Kate waited in the exam room for Wilson to return. He had said he needed some supplies and would be right back. She hadn't wanted to come here, but she was bleeding and would probably need stitches. Since she knew James, she felt it was better than going to a stranger. But she wanted this over with as soon as possible. She started to breath a sigh of relief when she saw the door begin to open, then froze when she heard the familiar thump of a cane.

House looked at Kate sitting on the exam table. There was blood on her head and her eye was swollen. His heart lurched, so many emotions swimming in him at the same time. He was happy to see her, angry that she was hurt, worried that she would reject him, longing to hold her in his arms. He didn't know how to address any of those feelings, let alone which to address first. He just stood silently, staring at her.

Finally, deciding to cover his nerves with humor, he said, "I hate to be the one to tell you this, but bloody isn't a good look for you."

"You don't think I look good in red?"

"Nope, doesn't match your eyes." he replied. "What happened?"

She hesitated. "Where's James?"

"Probably comforting some little bald kids. Kate, what happened."

"Stupid, idiotic rookie. My fault for trusting that he knew how to restrain a perp. I told him to put the cuffs on the guy, but did he? No. Next thing I know, the guy's taking a swing at me. I didn't expect it, so he caught me off guard. Gave me this shiner and knocked me down. I cut my head when I fell. Stupid, stupid!"

He wasn't sure who she was calling stupid, the rookie cop, the bad guy or herself, but in any case, it amused him to see her worked up about her work. She was always so quiet and distant when he saw her on Sundays.

"Well, Rocky, let's get you stitched up."

The next few minutes were spent in silence as House cleaned her up and made careful stitches on her forehead. Next he examined her for possible concussion. He found that she had blacked out for a few minutes.

"Okay, you're all stitched up. But there is a chance for concussion, especially since you blacked out."

"I feel fine."

"That's because I just gave you a shot for the infection and for pain. You'll need to be monitored for concussion tonight."

She looked at him. "I know about concussions. I'll set the alarm to wake myself up every two hours."

"Yeah, that'll work. Oh, wait, if you are concussed, you won't wake up. Hmmm, that could be a problem."

"I don't have a concussion."

"Wow, a cop, a prizefighter and a doctor."

She stared at him, trying to figure out what he was trying to do. "I'm fine."

"The other problem is Emily."

"Emily is never a problem."

"I know." He said quietly. "But she could be tonight. If you can't wake up because of the concussion or you're out of it because of pain, who's taking care of her?"

"I'll be fine." She said again

"No, you won't. And she won't. No matter what you think of me, you're my wife and she's my daughter and I'm taking care of both of you tonight."

"Greg…"

"Don't worry, I'll sleep in the guest room. This isn't a trick to get back ..." he trailed off. "I just want to take care of you."

She looked at his blue eyes full of concern. "Alright." She said.

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House took her home and despite her protests, he convinced her to lay down. Within minutes she was asleep. When the nanny arrived with Emily, House sent her home early and settled down to amuse the baby. He ordered food for dinner and prepared Emily's baby food. He was feeding her when Kate came into the kitchen.

She stopped and looked at them. He was trying to convince Emily to eat as she played with Cheerios. Kate's eyes filled up. She so wanted to have him back in their lives, spending time like this with their daughter.

He looked up when he heard her enter.

"There's pizza on the counter. I haven't had any yet, because someone doesn't want to eat her strained peas." He stated with a hard look at the baby, who just smiled and cooed at him.

"Have you ever tasted strained peas? I can't really blame her."

"Guess not. But since pizza is not an option yet, the peas will have to do."

Kate picked up a slice of pizza and took a small bite. She wasn't really hungry, but she needed to do something or she would continue to stare at him.

"It was nice of you to do this." She said quietly.

"I don't do nice." He replied, still struggling to get the spoon in the baby's mouth.

"I know that. It was still nice."

He shrugged. "Someone had to do it. Easier if it was me."

She stopped talking, realizing that she wasn't getting anywhere with this.

Eventually he got the baby fed, bathed and put to bed. Kate looked like she was about to drop, so he bullied her into going to bed as well, after giving her the pain medication.

Not being sleepy himself, he sat at the piano and played softly until it was time to wake Kate up for the first time. He went into the bedroom and shook her gently.

"Kate. Wake up, have to see if you're still with us."

She groaned and buried her head further into the pillow.

"C'mon, Kate, you have to wake up and actually talk to me."

She groaned again and said in a sleepy voice, "Leave me alone, I want to sleep."

He chuckled. "I guess that's good enough. Good night. We'll do this again in two hours."

Two hours later, he was repeating the action and waking her up again. This time she seemed to wake up a little faster. He was just about to leave, when she reached out and grabbed his arm.

"Don't leave." She said in a sleepy voice.

He sat on the bed beside her, thinking she needed him there until she fell back to sleep. But instead, she reached up and pulled his head down to her and kissed him on the mouth. He was surprised, but he kissed her back. She continued to kiss him, moving her hands over his body. He didn't want her to stop, but felt he had to say something before it went any further.

"Kate, are you sure this is what you want?"

"Yes," she breathed. "I want you. I always want you."

That was enough for him. He stretched out on the bed and took her into his arms.


	27. Chapter 27: The Morning After

Chapter 27: The Morning After

Kate lay in bed, barely awake and her eyes still closed. Her internal clock told her it was very early morning. Her head and her eye were throbbing. Why? Oh, right, she remembered the incident from the day before. There was something else different here. She slowly opened her eyes and saw that she was not alone in the bed. What the…? In the next moment, she realized it was her husband. She was confused. It was nice to have him in bed beside her, but what was he doing there? Unfortunately, she was not awake enough to dwell on it. She closed her eyes again and went back to sleep.

When she woke again, she was alone in the bed. Had she dreamed that he was there? No, she could smell his unique scent. She had missed it so much over the last months. She knew he had been there. But why? Then she remembered that he had awakened her during the night to check for the concussion. But still…

When she realized that she was naked, she shot up in the bed. They had made love! This was not good. She got out of bed, pulled a robe on and followed the sound of voices to the kitchen.

House was there putting Cheerios on Emily's high chair tray. He looked up when she came in and gave her a small smile. The look on her face was not reassuring. He turned away and poured her a cup of coffee, putting it on the table near her.

"Greg, we need to talk about this."

"Talk about what? We had sex. Simple. Nothing more to say."

"Yes, there is. You can't be thinking that sleeping together ends our problems."

"I'm not thinking about anything. You wanted me, I obliged you. That's it. I need to get ready for work. Okay if I take a shower?"

"Greg, I always want you. I slept with you last night because my mind wasn't clear and all I could think of was my physical needs."

"Thanks."

"I didn't mean it that way. I just don't want you to think that because we slept together last night, everything is fine. It's not."

"Okay. Got it. You finished?"

"Yes." She said sadly.

"Great. I'm going to work. I'll see you later."

Kate shook her head and sat down, not knowing what to do next.

House tried to put it out of his mind, but he kept going back to it. Okay, so they had sex, big deal. Obviously that's all it was. She needed the physical pleasure. For that matter, so did he. They had been separated for several months and he hadn't had any sexual release in that time. He could have. He had gone to the bar with Wilson and there were women who were definitely willing. But he was married. And even if he wasn't living with his wife, his vows meant something to him.

Not to mention, he didn't really want to sleep with anyone but Kate.

He had to do something about this. Last night didn't help anything. It wasn't just a release for him. He loved her. He wanted to be with her. But the only way he could go back to her was if he opened up to her.

He didn't know if he could do that.

Kate stayed home from work. After the events of the day before and especially the events during the night, she felt she needed a sick day. House had taken the baby to day care for her, so she was alone. She wandered around, unable to settle down. She tried watching TV, reading a book, even playing piano, but nothing worked. She kept remembering making love with her husband. More than anything, she wanted him back in her bed, back in her life. Should she let it go? Should she just accept that she would only get a piece of him, that he would always keep himself hidden from her? Or should she hold out for the whole ball of wax?

With these questions circling around in her head, she spent a restless and unhappy day.

House didn't have a case that day. He didn't know if that was good or bad. If there had been a case, it might have focused his mind on something other than Kate. Then again, with his current state of mind, he probably wouldn't have been able to concentrate.

He tried to talk to Wilson, but all the other doctor told him was: "Talk to your wife."

Finally, unable to settle down, he left the hospital. He was going to head to Wilson's apartment, but somehow found himself heading to his house.

Kate was sitting in the rec room looking out the window at the backyard when she heard the door. She glanced at her watch, but it was too early for the nanny to be bringing Emily home. She rose, and just as she reached the doorway, he was there.

His blue eyes were intense as he looked at her. She started to speak, "Greg…"

"Shut up," He said, then reached out and pulled her towards him. Before she could say anything more, he kissed her. He didn't let her talk, he just kept kissing her. Eventually, she gave up trying and enjoyed the kisses. He began to pull her clothes off, she did the same with his. Moments later, they were on the floor together. It was hard and it was fast and it was exactly what each of them needed.

Afterward, they lay back on the floor. Kate spoke first.

"This doesn't solve any of our problems, Greg, it just complicates everything. We…"

"My father." He said, staring at the ceiling.

"What? What are you talking about?"

"My father did things to me when I was a kid. Things that I guess a therapist would call abuse. But beyond the physical, the worse thing he did was to make me believe that I was worthless. Nothing I did ever pleased him. Nothing was ever good enough. If I did well in school, why wasn't I in sports? If I did well in sports, I needed to buckle down and study. He wanted me to go into the military like him. When I didn't, he wrote me off as a loss. College scholarships, medical degrees, nothing mattered.

"After being told all your life that you're not good enough, you start to believe it. But when I met you and when we had Emily, I began to believe that I was worth something. If a woman like you could love me and if we could produce a kid like Em, well, maybe there was hope for me.

"That's why I didn't tell them. I couldn't stand for him to ruin it for me. And I knew he would." He turned to look at her. "I was never ashamed of you. I couldn't possibly be. I was and am ashamed of him. The longer I kept him away from this, then the longer I could live the dream. And I've had way too few dreams in my life."

Her eyes were filled when he stopped talking. She was unable to speak, both because of the emotion filling her and because she wasn't sure what to say to him. But he was looking at her, his blue eyes filled with uncertainty.

She moved over and put her head on his chest, just over his heart. She wound her arms around him. "Thank you for sharing this with me. We can get through anything together as long as we're always there for each other."

He held her to him, closing his eyes in relief.

**A/N: Okay, done with this part. It was really the hardest to write. I hope I didn't make his problems seem too simplistic. A little more excitement to come. Thanks again to everyone who reviews. **


	28. Chapter 28: Rebuilding

**A/N: Sorry this is a very short chapter. It's actually only a bridge for the next part of the story. Things are going to get intense. And I need to write the next three chapters before I post any of them because I need to make sure I don't mess up the continuity of the story. So it may take me some time. Please be patient. **

**I do genuinely appreciate all of those who take the time to post reviews. I also appreciate those who haven't reviewed but still have this as a story alert. I understand that not everyone reviews (I don't always review), but it's nice to know that you're reading it.**

Chapter 28: Rebuilding

Their reconciliation was comfortable and punctuated by sex – lots of sex. Joanne offered to take Emily for a weekend so that they could get away. They had never managed to take a honeymoon, so they decided this would be a good time for one.

They ended up with a long weekend at the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania. They went one of the Caesars' resorts and rented a room that boasted a round bed, mirrors on the ceiling, a fireplace, a swimming pool and a Jacuzzi in the shape of a champagne glass. They rarely made it out of the room. But in between the marathon sex, they also managed to talk and to rebuild their relationship. They came home exhausted from all the sex, but emotionally recharged and ready to start their marriage anew.

Kate convinced House to contact his parents and invite them to visit and spend time with their granddaughter. At first he refused, then he grumbled and complained, but eventually he realized that Emily should get to know her grandparents. And he needed to come to terms with his relationship with his father.

So they spoke on the phone weekly and although House didn't really want to, he managed to have a brief conversation with his father each time.

In September, Kate and House planned a first birthday party for Emily and he invited his parents to spend a few days with them so that they could be there. They came.

The party was a barbecue in their backyard. The same group of people who had attended their wedding were there, but that was all they really wanted. Planning it hadn't been as hard as they had anticipated. Kate had asked Joanne what food to buy and Joanne had taken her friend grocery shopping. They purchased frozen hamburgers, packs of hot dogs, buns, and pre-made potato and pasta salads. Joanne had told her how much to buy.

House had told his team about the party and Cameron had asked about decorations and a theme.

"She's one. Why do we need a theme?"

"Because…you just do."

"What kind of theme?"

"Well, it could be teddy bears or Disney or…"

"Okay, neither Kate or I do Disney. Can it be cars or sports?"

"No!" Cameron was horrified. "Would you like me to get the decorations?"

"Good idea. Get them there Saturday morning."

On the day of the party, House looked at the barbecue grill and pretended to be confused by the controls (even though he and Kate often cooked steaks on it). Eventually, Wilson and John House took over control and soon had burgers and dogs cooking away, while House sat among his guests drinking a beer.

All in all, House and Kate were building a good relationship. Emily was growing and seemed to be inheriting her father's quick mind. House continued to try to avoid work (especially clinic duty), but when he had a case, he seemed to face it with less animosity towards the world. His team were able to relax a bit as his patience increased daily. They attributed the improvement to Kate. And Kate continued with her work, happily putting the bad guys behind bars.

Until she faced a case that stumped her and would be the hardest she had ever known.


	29. Chapter 29: A Tough One

**A/N: Sorry for the delay. I had to write the next few chapters simultaneously to preserve continuity. The good news is that I'll be posting them all in the next few days. It's getting intense, but hang in there, please. This is a nice long chapter.**

**Thanks for all the great responses to my first fan fiction!**

Chapter 29: A Tough One

It was the hardest case that Kate had ever handled. Not because she didn't know who the murderer was. She was almost 100 sure of his identity. But he had disappeared. And he had taken his thirteen year old daughter with him. Kate was determined that she would find the guy and rescue the girl as well.

It had been just after Christmas that Jack Pearson had murdered his wife. When Kate investigated the scene and talked to friends and relatives of the victim, she had found plenty of evidence of abuse, both of his wife and his daughter. Pearson had a successful career as an engineer, yet immediately after the murder, he had disappeared along with his daughter, Monica.

Kate spent long hours following multiple leads to find him, but everything came up blank. Three months after the murder, the police department put the case in their cold files and told Kate to leave it and concentrate on her other cases. They believed that most of the evidence pointed to the man leaving the country and they just did not have the resources to pursue it.

Kate couldn't leave it. She put in her day's work, then when she came home, she spread out the files looking for something she may have missed. On her day off she re-interviewed people that knew Pearson, searching for that one piece of information that would lead to finding him and the young girl.

House was worried about his wife. She was obsessed with this case. She had stopped working out in the morning. Instead she would review the files or go talk to someone before she began her regular work day. She usually arrived home late, staying at work to look up information on the department's computer system. When she did get home, she would close herself into the spare bedroom she had set up as an office, with files, bulletin boards, pictures, etc. She almost never ate dinner, though sometimes she would accept a slice of pizza if House brought it into the room. She stayed up late reviewing the files, usually later than House and falling exhausted into the bed and sleeping fitfully. Her nightmares returned.

Weekends just became extended days to work on the case. She never spent any time with House or Emily. House understood obsessing over a case. He had done it many times himself. But his wife's health and the well-being of their family was at stake now.

He caught her as she came in from work one day and before she could hole up in her office.

"Kate, stop. We need to talk."

"Sorry, Greg, no time. I have some information that I need to add to my notes."

He grabbed her arms. "That wasn't a request. You need to stop this now."

"What? What are you talking about?"

"This obsession over this case. It's gone far enough."

"You're kidding me, right? I've seen you do exactly the same thing. Hell, you told me about that woman that died and it took you eight years, but you kept looking until you found the reason."

"True, but I kept on living in the meantime. I don't expect you to give it up. Just give it a rest."

"I can't! Don't you understand?"

"I do understand. It's because of the girl. You see yourself in her. Abused childhood, mother killed by this man, I get it."

Kate swallowed hard, trying not to let tears come. She had already cried for Monica and what she must be going through. But she couldn't admit any of that to anyone. She had to convince everyone (including herself) that this was just about catching a murderer.

'That's not it. I can't leave a murderer out there. That's all it is."

House gave her a withering look that told her he didn't believe her.

"Does your lieutenant want you to keep pursuing this?"

"No," she said, disgusted. "They think he left the area, probably the country. He ordered me to give it up."

"Well, that's a sure way to guarantee you won't. No one orders you to do anything."

"You should talk." She shot back.

"How do you think I understand that?" he smirked. "But that's not the point. You know that they're probably right? He's probably long gone."

"No, I don't believe it. Something about this guy. He's still here, in this area. He's hiding out somewhere. I can feel it."

House couldn't argue with her. How many times had he fought everyone on a case based on a feeling that he'd had, an innate knowledge of his own certainty. Kate was the same way. Probably why he loved her.

"Okay, I can understand that too. But you're not going to catch him or save the kid if you wear yourself down to nothing. If he is hiding out, he's good at it, since no one's had a glimpse of him in over five months."

"I know." She said, frustrated. "And I know you're right. But I just can't give this up."

"Don't give it up. Just give it a break. Don't study the files every day, pick one day a week to do that. Don't spend all weekend working it, spend an hour or two. You'll come at it with fresher ideas if you walk away from it a bit. And you might find your answers somewhere else. That's what happened to me with my eight-year old case."

She knew he was right. She tried to take his advice and began to spend some more time with her family. She didn't spend every evening working on it and she began to get home at a reasonable hour. Her health improved.

She even began to believe that possibly the other cops were right, maybe Pearson had left the area. There was certainly no sign of him anywhere.

Then she got the first phone call.

She was at her desk, completing some paperwork when her phone rang.

"Detective Martin." She answered.

"De-tec-tive." A voice said, drawing out each syllable of the word.

"Who am I speaking to, please?" Kate said, expecting it to be a prank call. They loved to get through to cops.

"Why, you should know me by now. You've certainly studied me very well for the last few months."

A cold chill ran through her.

"Identify yourself."

"I'm not that stupid. But I will say that Monica is fine."

Kate could hardly manage to speak, but she still ground out, 'Pearson."

"I don't know why you want me so much, but if that's the case, then we must arrange to meet."

Kate started to get excited. "When? Where?"

"Not so fast. We will meet. But I will determine the parameters. And I can guarantee, you will not have the upper hand. Since you've spent so much time investigating me, I've investigated you as well. You're a very lovely woman. I believe that we might enjoy each other."

"You're a scumbag. The only thing I will enjoy with you is putting you behind bars."

"I'm sorry, Kate – oh, may I call you Kate, thank you – this will not end with me incarcerated."

"That's where you're wrong."

He just laughed and said, "Kate, Kate, you may have been studying me, but you still have a lot to learn. And now, I must say goodbye. But we will speak again. And very soon."

He hung up. Kate just looked at the receiver in her hand. She couldn't believe after all these months, she had finally spoken to Jack Pearson. If he called her, she must be getting to him. This was the first break she'd had on this case.

She almost ran to the lieutenant's office. She gave a brief knock, then entered. Paul was sitting at his desk.

"Paul, he called." She said, excitedly.

"Who called? What are you talking about?"

Briefly, she filled him in on the phone call. She started to list things that should be done to pursue it.

"Whoa, Kate, wait a minute. How do we even know the call was from Pearson?"

"Who else would it be?"

"Anyone. You've been all over town asking about him. Any crazy could be calling you and saying it was Jack Pearson. You need more to go on than one phone call before I'm going to commit department resources on a cold case."

"Dammit, Paul, this was him! I know it. He knows I've been looking for him and he was taunting me!"

"Yeah, you just proved my point. He knows you've been looking for him." He shook his head. "Sorry, Kate, I just can't authorize it."

She wanted to say more, but she knew from experience that when Paul made a decision, you couldn't change his mind. Unless you proved him wrong. Which was what she intended to do.

She smiled at him. "Fine, Lieutenant. If that's what you want, then that's it. Thanks."

She turned and walked out of the office. Once the door closed behind her, Paul smiled.

He called again, of course. Kate placed a trace on her office line and tried to keep him talking. But he was smart enough to know how long to talk before ending the call and avoiding any trace.

He called her three times on her office phone over a week. Then he called her cell phone. That worried her a little, but then she reasoned that her cell number was on her business card and she gave them out to the people she had questioned about the case. It was not unreasonable for him to have it.

The calls were much the same each time. He had moved from calling her 'Detective Martin' to calling her 'Kate'. It creeped her out, but she wanted to keep him talking, so she didn't say anything. She pretended to go along with his talk, hoping to get his trust.

"Hello, Kate," he would say, "Guess who?"

"Hello, Jack, good to talk to you again."

"I am so looking forward to when we can be together. I have wonderful things planned for you."

"Why don't you tell me? In detail."

"Kate, Kate, Kate, I know you're trying to get me talk long enough to trace the call. It won't work, my dear. I'll never stay on long enough and even if I did, I don't call from the same phone or location. You won't find me."

"Then how will we ever be able to get together and do all those 'wonderful things' that you have planned?"

"All in good time, all in good time. When the time is right, you'll know it."

He would usually end the call after that. Kate usually tried to ask about the young girl, but he would only say something like, "she's fine."

When he called her at home, she started to get scared. It was the same type of call, but it was to their private, unlisted home number.

The second time he called her at home, House was in the kitchen while Kate was in her office. He didn't normally answer the phone, but he was waiting for his team to call with test results. He picked it up seconds after she did and almost hung up when he heard her talking. But something about the call sounded odd to him.

After she hung up, House replaced the receiver and went into her office. She was holding a pen as if it was a knife and she wanted to stab someone.

"Who was on the phone?" he asked.

"Who, uh, no one. Just, uh, someone from work." She stammered.

He pierced her with his blue eyes, but she wouldn't meet them. He waited for her to say something more, but when she didn't, he said, "Bullshit."

"What?"

"It wasn't someone from work. I heard it. It was that psycho, wasn't it?"

"No, it wasn't…it was…" she looked at the expression on his face and knew that she couldn't lie to him. She sighed. "Yes, it was Jack Pearson."

He looked at the floor briefly, then back at her. "How long has he been calling you?"

"A couple of weeks. But this is only the second time he's called here."

"How did he get our home number?"

"I don't know."

"You realize that if he has the phone number, he probably has the address."

"Of course I realize that!" she yelled.

"Well, then, next time he calls, be sure to invite him for dinner." he yelled back.

"What do you suggest I do?"

"Cop things. Get them to watch the house. Put a tap on the phone. I don't know, I'm a doctor, not a cop."

"They won't do that." She said quietly.

"What? Why not?"

"Paul doesn't believe it's really Pearson. He thinks it's a copycat just taunting me. He told me to let it go."

House swore. He knew better than anyone that a sure way to make Kate do something was to order her not to. Her lieutenant knew that as well.

"Even if it's not Pearson, it's someone who's stalking you. That should get you police protection."

"I'm the police. I can protect myself.'

"How about Emily? Can you protect her 24 hours a day?"

Kate paled. Her expression said that she had thought of that. In fact she was worried about House as well as Emily. He might be a man, but he wasn't a cop, he wasn't armed and he couldn't run away from an attacker.

"Kate, you have to end this. You're going to end up dead. Is it worth it just to catch this guy?"

'I can't end it even if I wanted to. He knows I want him, so I'm the one he's talking to. And I won't give it up in any case."

"Your life means that little to you?"

"It's my job. You knew that when we met. I'm a cop. I'll always be a cop. It's a dangerous job, but it's the only job I want."

"It's not worth losing you."

"People die every day for lots of reasons. You're a doctor, you should know that. Hell, you were shot in your office!"

House knew she was right about that. He looked down again and said, quietly, "I couldn't handle it if something happened to you."

"Nothing's going to happen to me."

"You don't know that."

She sighed. "No, I don't know that. But I believe it. And even if, by some chance, it did, you could handle it. You'd have to because of Emily."

He looked at her. "Do you think I could take care of her without you?"

"Of course I do."

"Well, you're wrong. I'm barely functioning as a father now, and only because you're here. Without you, that kid's in trouble."

She walked up to him and took his hand. "No, you're wrong. You're a terrific father. You love her and that's number one. You'd do anything to protect her. And if I wasn't here, you'd be father and mother to her because you'd have to be and you'd know that's what I want."

House put his arm around her waist and pulled her to him. She rested her head on his shoulder. "Please don't put me to the test on that."

"I won't."

House, Kate and Emily, like most families, had a routine that they followed. Kate was up first and usually took Emily to day care on her way to work. Since House started work at erratic times, it was easier on the day care staff to have the child arrive at the same time each day. Kate was usually at her desk by 8 AM and stayed until 5 or 6 PM, unless she was working on something.

House never arrived at the hospital before 9 and usually closer to 10. He always went to the day care center at lunchtime to spend a few minutes with Emily. He had gotten into the habit when he and Kate were separated and he enjoyed it. The baby was always excited to see her daddy. He stayed at work most of the time until 5 or 6 as well, also, unless he had a case.

The college student who worked as their nanny picked up Emily around 3 PM and brought her home. She fed her, bathed her, and if both parents worked extra late, put her to bed as well. When House or Kate came home, the nanny left.

With a routine like that, it wasn't hard for someone watching to know when a member of the family was vulnerable.

It had seemed like a normal day to House. It was late June and the weather was warm, but not too hot. He had arrived at his office around ten and had just sat down at his desk with his coffee when his phone rang. He hated answering the phone, but the ring told him it was an outside call. Good, not Cuddy bugging him about clinic. He picked it up.

"House." He said.

"Greg, this is Lt. Rogers." House sneered. That man loved throwing around his rank. "I was, um, hoping you might know where Kate is."

"Isn't she at work?"

"No, she never came into the office today. I was thinking maybe she was sick and just forgot to call in?"

"No, she left before I did with the baby…" House got a sick feeling in his gut – Emily! "Hold on a second." He put Rogers on hold and dialed the hospital day care center.

"This is Dr. House" he said when one of the employees answered. "Did my wife bring my daughter in today?"

"Yes, of course she did, Dr. House. Det. Martin brought her in around 7:30 as usual."

"So my daughter is there?"

"Yes, she's a few feet away from me having her morning snack."

He ended the call and went back to Rogers. "She brought Emily to day care at 7:30."

Rogers swore. "I was afraid of that."

"What were you afraid of?"

Paul hesitated. "I don't know if she told you about some phone calls she's been getting…"

"Yeah, I found out about them. I also know you didn't do a damn thing to help her."

"There was no proof…"

"You are so full of shit! You told her to let it go, knowing she never would and you'd get her working on the case in her spare time, saving you paying cops overtime to help her."

"I had no way of knowing that she…"

"You are such a son of a bitch. You've known her longer than I have. You dated her. You slept with her! You know what she's like."

"Look, this is not getting us anywhere."

"You're right it's not. You'd better get every goddamn cop out there and find my wife."

"We've already started, I just wanted to be sure it was necessary."

"Find her. Or you'll be sorry." He hung up. He stared at his coffee cup for a few moments. Then he banged his fist on the desk hard enough to splash the coffee and have papers flying.

Chase was just walking into the conference room when House banged his fist. He looked up and saw by the look on House's face that something was wrong. He went into the office and said, "What's the matter?"

'Leave me alone." House growled.

"Is it the patient?" he asked.

"No, it's not the goddamn patient. LEAVE ME ALONE!"

Chase turned and left the office and the conference room, heading straight into Wilson's office.

Not more than three minutes later, Wilson was walking into House's office. One look at his friend's face told him something was terribly wrong.

"What's happened?" Wilson asked.

House looked up at him. "That was fast. Are they wired into you?"

Wilson sat down and just looked at House, waiting.

House sighed and told Wilson about Paul Rogers' phone call.

"Well, I'm sure she's fine. She's a good cop, she's probably…"

"No. Something's happened." Then he told him about Pearson and the phone calls.

"My God." Wilson said, sitting back in his chair. Then he said again, "My God!"

"That about covers it." House said grimly.

"So you think this guy has, what, kidnapped her?"

That thought had come to House, but he didn't want to think that. "I don't know." He said. "Maybe she's just pursuing him and …" He stopped because he knew that he was grasping at straws. She would have called for backup or at least answered her cell phone if she could.

"Yeah, I think he kidnapped her."

"Is that what the cops think?"

"I don't know!" House spat out, frustrated. "I've tried calling Rogers back, but he won't answer my calls."

Wilson thought for a minute, then picked up the phone and dialed a number. When someone answered, he said, "Joanne, what's happening with Kate?"

He listened for a minute, then said, "Okay, thanks…Yeah, I'll talk to you later."

He looked at House. "She doesn't know, but she said the cops seem upset. Rogers left the office a few minutes ago."

"So what does that mean?"

"I wish I knew."

They were both about to find out. At that moment, Paul Rogers walked into House's office. The man looked grim.

"Greg, I hate to have to say this to you."

House felt a lump form in his gut. "Then don't say it."

Paul shook his head. "I have to. I'm sorry, Kate is dead."


	30. Chapter 30: Grief and Sadness

Chapter 30: Grief & Sadness

House stared at the man, not believing the words he was saying. But the pain on Paul's face said that it was true. No, it couldn't be true, he thought, Kate couldn't be… He stared at his coffee cup with great intensity, trying to focus on anything except the pain that was building in him.

Wilson was able to speak, which was a good thing, since House couldn't. "What happened?"

"Pearson kidnapped her somehow and took her to a house outside of the city. He called the precinct and told us he had her, but as soon as the cops got there, he blew up the house."

House looked up then, but couldn't find his voice. However, Wilson asked what he wanted to. "Did someone go in? She could be alive…"

"No, Dr. Wilson. It was a very hot, very concentrated explosion. The firefighters went in and found three bodies, a male and two females. They were burned beyond recognition. There is nothing to identify them, except for this."

He pulled a plastic evidence bag out of his pocket. In it was a plain gold band, badly charred. But when House took it from Paul's hand he could see the engraving inside it: K & G – Forever. It matched the engraving inside the ring on his own left hand. He dropped it on the desk, the pain overwhelming him.

Paul was talking, although House hardly registered it. "There was also a wedding band on the male's finger. It was a mate to the one his wife had on when she was killed. The other female had a necklace that said 'Monica' on it."

"So he killed himself and his daughter along with Kate?" Wilson asked.

House winced at the words. Kate couldn't be dead, she couldn't be.

"Yes, apparently he did. The coroner is examining the bodies, but from the preliminary investigation, it doesn't look like we're going to get anything further from them."

House finally spoke. "You goddamned son of a bitch. This is your fault."

Paul looked sad. He understood that the man was upset and he expected anger and recriminations. "We did all that we could…"

"No, you didn't. You didn't believe her when she told you this guy hadn't left the area and you didn't help her when she started getting phone calls from her. You let her die."

"I understand that you're upset, Greg, rightly so. But there was nothing…"

He cut off when he saw the murderous look in House's eyes. "Maybe I'd better go. You probably need your friends with you right now."

"Yeah, you had better go. Or I'll be going to jail for killing a police lieutenant. And it would be worth it."

Paul left the office, but motioned to Wilson as he did. Wilson followed him to the hallway.

"The department will be holding a memorial for Kate. I don't know if Greg will want to be there, but he should be."

"He doesn't always do what he should do and right now, I don't know what he'll do. But let me know and we'll see."

Paul left and before Wilson returned to House, he took out his cell phone and called Cuddy. He told her, briefly, what had happened and that he was going to take House home.

Tears filled her eyes and she told him to do whatever he needed to help House. Then she got on the phone and informed everyone else.

Soon House learned all the details about Kate's death. Apparently she had been kidnapped after she had left the hospital day care. House kicked himself for not bringing the baby to day care. But he always just let Kate do it.

Pearson must have forced Kate to drive her car to the house, because it was found parked in front with her purse still there. He had her for about two hours when he called the cops and told them where he was. They didn't trust him, but there was no alternative and the trace on her cell phone showed the location. One of the cops claimed he heard Kate yell something at the end of the call, but he couldn't make it out. It sounded something like "…it's not what he looks like…" No one was sure what she was trying to tell them.

As soon as the cops arrived, they tried to talk to Pearson. He called out from the house: "Stay away or I'll kill her. I'll kill both of them." They assumed he had his daughter there as well.

They responded with, "Stay calm, Pearson. If you come out now with Detective Martin, we can get you a deal. But if you kill a cop, you're going to be in trouble."

Then they heard him laugh and say, "Why am I talking to you? It's too late to save anything anyway."

There was silence, and then the explosion. It was very concentrated, it burned fast and hot in the house, but didn't radiate very far out. A few cops that were fairly close to the house suffered some burns, but no one was killed or seriously hurt. Except for the three people in the house.

When the fire was out and cooled down enough for the forensic teams to go in, they found the three bodies. They were burned beyond recognition. The only things that identified the bodies were the jewelry they wore. Since the wedding rings and the necklace were unique enough to identify the bodies and based on Pearson's call with Kate's voice in the background, there was no question that the dead inside the house were Pearson, his daughter and Kate Martin House.

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Two weeks had passed since Paul Rogers had told House about Kate. He hadn't returned to work yet. He couldn't bear to face the pitying faces. They had all been out in force at the memorial service that the police department had held for her.

He hadn't wanted to go, but Wilson had somehow convinced him that it was important. But the younger man had made sure to stay by House's side the entire time to be sure that there were no confrontations between him and Paul.

There weren't. All the cops were silent and full of grief. Kate had been a good cop, one that her fellow officers knew they could count on. Losing one of their number was always hard for them, but losing a good one was even harder. Plus, they all knew she had been the mother of a small child. It was hard to look at that little girl and not feel grief.

Some of them approached House to offer condolences. He just nodded, but remained silent.

During the service, the chief of police praised Kate and her hard work. Some of her friends got up and recounted stories about her. They had asked House if he wanted to speak, but he had declined. He knew that nothing he said could bring her back, so what was the point? While the cops spoke, tears flowed freely. Cuddy, Cameron and Joanne wept openly, but even Wilson, Chase, Foreman and many of the cops, could be seen sniffing and trying to hide the errant tear or two that escaped their eyes.

House had Kate's body cremated. He didn't believe in using land to bury bodies and he knew that Kate had felt the same. Since he didn't believe in an afterlife, he didn't see any reason to get sentimental about the ashes. He received the sealed box with them inside and he put it away.

In the days following, people brought food and drink to his house. He now had a freezer full of casseroles and cakes, bottles of wine, scotch and everything else you could imagine. There were supplies of diapers and baby food for Emily as well. And the people kept showing up to make sure he was alright.

But now, two weeks later, the people had pretty much stopped coming. When you didn't talk to people, or react to anything they said, they didn't see a reason to come.

His parents came for the memorial service and his mother wanted to stay for a while to help him with Emily, but he declined and sent her home with his father. He didn't want anyone, so they left him alone.

Except for Wilson, of course. He came every day to make sure House was okay and stayed in the guest room because he was afraid House wouldn't be able to take care of Emily.

Wilson took her to day care for House so that he could get some rest and the nanny brought her home each day, staying until House told her to leave.

But House wasn't okay. He never thought he would know pain worse than the pain in his leg, but this was. And the Vicodin didn't help at all. He would take so much that he would pass out and still the pain was there.

Nights were the worst. He either lie awake, thinking about Kate burning to death in that explosion or he would sleep restlessly, hearing her voice calling him to help her.

After a month, Wilson convinced House to return to work. House realized that he should, because staying at home only made him think about Kate not being there more. So he went to work. His team expected him to be angry, to be surly, or to lose his temper with them. But they never expected the House that returned to PPTH.

He was quiet. He didn't speak to them at all, except about a patient and then only what had to be said. No sarcastic remarks, no snide comments. Just the facts, then he would retreat to his office.

At home, he barely ate, most of his sustenance being scotch. He usually feel asleep in a drunken stupor. He never touched the piano. He never held Emily.

Wilson realized that his friend was in deep depression over the loss of his wife, but every time he tried to broach the subject, House shot him down and refused to talk about it.

"I don't need anyone's help. I'm fine."

"Obviously, you're not."

"I go to work each day. No patients have died. I'm fine."

"You go to work, then you come home and drink yourself to sleep. You never even talk to your daughter."

"What do you expect me to say to her? 'Sorry, your mother's not here. All you've got left is a piece of shit father.' I don't think that's going to help her."

"And this is? Not being a father at all?"

"Works for me."

"Right, because if you don't talk to her, you can get drunk and forget Kate ever existed."

The look that House gave him told him that he had hit the nail on the head.

Wilson knew he wasn't getting anywhere with his friend and had to do something drastic. So the next evening, before House had gotten too drunk, Wilson told him that Social Services was coming the next day to take Emily.

House looked at his friend, confused. "What are you talking about?"

"Well, I can't stay here forever. I have to get back to my apartment—and my life. And since you don't want to take care of your daughter, I thought it best if the state takes her. They'll find a foster home for her for now. And since she's so young, I'm sure someone will adopt her. You just need to sign some papers and she's out of your life. Then you can sell the house and every memory of Kate will be gone."

The words that hit House the most were "foster home". He knew more than anything else that Kate would not want her daughter to be raised as she had been - in foster care.

"No." he said.

"No what?"

"No one is taking her away."

"You took yourself away from her right after Kate's death when you closed yourself off from her. This would just make it legal."

House stared at the drink in his hand. Then, in a voice that was barely audible, he said, "I don't know how to do this."

"How to do what?"

"This. Function without her. Be both parents to Emily, hell, to be any kind of a parent to her without Kate. To live without her."

Wilson looked at his friend. "You do it one day at a time. You remember that that baby is the only part of Kate that you have left and you hold on to her and love her."

"But what if I screw up?"

"You have friends. We'll all help you. But you've got to help yourself first. You've got to stop drinking. You've got to take care of your daughter. You've got to function."

House didn't know if he could. But he thought of Emily. And he thought of some of the last words Kate had said to him: "You're a terrific father. You love her and that's number one. You'd do anything to protect her. And if I wasn't here, you'd be father and mother to her because you'd have to be and you'd know that's what I want."

He knew he couldn't let her down. And he definitely couldn't let Emily go.

From then on, House forced himself to become a functioning human being. He took Emily to day care each morning. He went to work. He was still subdued, but he began to snark a little. He went home each day and took care of the baby, holding her, playing with her. He sat at the piano with Emily on his lap and played music for her. Her chubby little hands would bang the keys while he played and he let her.

The pain was still there. He had a feeling the pain would never leave him, but at least when he was with Emily, it retreated a bit. And he functioned.

Of course, he dreamed of her. Sometimes he saw her in happy times, making love to him, playing with Emily, just smiling at him across the dinner table. But more often, the dreams were painful. He would see her suffering in the flames of the explosion or calling out to him for help. One night the dream was so real he swore the phone rang and when he picked it up, he heard her begging him to help her. Then it went dead and no one was there. It had seemed so real, but it had to be a dream. No, a nightmare.

Still, he continued to function. And, slowly, his life began to take on a new rhythm, one that didn't include Kate.

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Two and a half months after it happened, Emily had her second birthday. House remembered painfully the wonderful celebration of the year before. He couldn't bring himself to celebrate this year, but he felt sorry for the little girl that lost her mother and couldn't even have a birthday party. So he gave money to the directors at the day care center to host a party for her with all the other children. There were decorations, a cake, party games and presents from the other children. Emily had a wonderful time and House didn't have to celebrate.

His mother came to stay with him for a few days and he let her. He was even glad for the company, though he wouldn't admit it.

September flowed into October. Soon November would arrive and with it, their wedding anniversary. He was already thinking about how he could get through that day. The year before, he and Kate had spent the weekend at a bed and breakfast in New Hope, dining at Marsden House. They had made love well into the night. The memory of it would haunt him when the day arrived.

But before it did, House got an early and unexpected present.

House and his team were discussing their patient's symptoms when the door to the conference room opened. Paul Rogers walked in.

House hadn't seen the man since Kate's memorial and frankly, didn't care to see him.

"What do you want?"

Paul smiled slightly. "Greg, four months ago, I walked in here to tell you the worst news a cop can tell someone. Now, I can, I hope, redeem myself for that day."

"What are you talking about?" House had had enough of his pomposity.

"I'm here to tell you that Kate isn't dead. She's alive."

**A/N: Sorry for putting you through that! Had to do it for dramatic intensity. More to come!**


	31. Chapter 31: Shock

**A/N: Thanks for hanging in there! Sorry to have made everyone worry. Explanations will be coming next chapter.**

Chapter 31 – Shock

House started to get angry. "This is a pretty sick joke."

"Not a joke, Greg. She's alive. It wasn't her in that explosion. It wasn't Pearson or Monica either. He was holding them prisoner. She and the girl escaped. We got a call from the state police. They found the two of them on the road. When she told them who she was, they contacted us.

"Of course I didn't believe them. But they sent me a picture. They're on their way back now. I told them to bring them here. I assumed you'd want her checked out before we question her on what happened."

House was staring at him in disbelief. Four months ago, he hadn't wanted to believe what Paul Rogers told him, yet he'd had to. Now, he wanted so much to believe it, but didn't know if he could.

"I…don't believe this. How can…you identified her body."

"Only by the wedding ring and the other things that were there. We couldn't get DNA and we never checked dental records."

In his grief, House had never asked that question. He had assumed that dental records had been checked. How could he have missed that? Now he was livid.

"If you had, you would have known it wasn't her! You could have been searching for her these last four months. She could have died anyway, you jerk!"

Paul had the sense to look remorseful. "You're right. We should have. I think we were all shocked over it. But from what I know so far, we wouldn't have been able to find them."

House was about to continue to blast him, when Paul's cell phone rang. He answered it and said, "Lt. Rogers…okay, great…thanks." He put the phone away and looked at House. "They're here. They're on their way up."

He had barely finished speaking when there was noise from the hall. Two state police troopers were trying to hold back a woman who was running down the hall. She burst into the office and stopped when she saw House.

"Greg." She said softly before launching herself into his arms. He was speechless, but his arms closed around her.

"Oh. Greg, I missed you so much."

"Kate, Kate…" was all that House could whisper.

"Emily!" Kate said, "Is she…"

"She's fine." He closed his eyes and pulled her to him. Then he opened them and took a good look at her. She had lost weight – a lot of it. She was normally slim, but toned. Now she seemed almost emaciated. She was pale and there were circles under her eyes, and the remnants of older bruises on her skin. But her eyes, though tired, were alight with joy. He figured whatever had happened, whatever scars she had from her experience would heal. The important thing was that she was alive and he was holding her in his arms once again.

He had forgotten that his team was in the room and watching them. Chase and Foreman were smiling and fighting to control their emotions. Cameron had long since lost that fight – the tears were streaming down her face, but she was smiling broadly.

Hearing the commotion in the hall, Wilson left his office and entered House's. He stopped when he saw House with a woman in his arms.

"What the…" he stopped when Chase and Foreman quickly filled him in on the happenings.

As he had four months ago, he stared and said, "My God!"

It took some time for House and Kate to disentangle themselves so that Kate could receive hugs and kisses from the others. Questions started coming from all directions. By this time, Cuddy had arrived as well.

Kate held up a hand. "I would be thrilled to tell all of you everything that happened. But right now I want to see my daughter and then I want to just be with my family."

"Of course you do." Wilson said.

"Why don't you all come to our house tomorrow night?" She turned to House. "I assume we still have a house?"

"Yes." He replied.

"Great. Tomorrow – around seven."

They all agreed to come. Cuddy added, "Don't worry about anything. We'll bring food. You just take the time to relax and reconnect. House, you are now officially on personal leave."

"Gee, thanks, Mom." House said, regaining his voice and his wits.

His team smiled, hoping that their boss was finally back.

Three hours later, Kate and House were curled up in their bed. They had gone directly to the day care center from his office. The staff was shocked to see Kate, but they soon recovered and brought Emily out. Kate scooped her up into her arms and hugged her. The baby looked at her mother shyly, then said "Mama."

Kate's eyes filled with tears. "She remembers me."

House just smiled. No need to tell her that he showed Emily her mother's picture every night and made her say "Mama" when she looked at it. He had wanted the child to remember her mother and figured it wasn't too early to start.

They took her home and while Kate hugged and played with Emily, she told House some of what had happened to her. Then they put the baby in her crib for her nap and fell into each other's arms.

They kissed passionately and moved into their bedroom. They barely let go of each other as they removed clothing and fell into the bed. But once House started moving his hands over her naked body, Kate started crying. He stopped and looked at her.

"Are you okay?"

"I don't know. I've spent the last four months longing for you. Now, I'm scared. Maybe you didn't miss me as much …"

"I missed you more. Remember, I thought you were dead. That you were never coming back to me. I almost didn't make it."

"But you did. And you took good care of Emily."

"Yeah, I almost screwed that up too." He ducked his head to avoid looking her in the eye.

She leaned down and forced those blue eyes to meet hers. "I never expected that you would be perfect. I knew that you would stumble and fall. But I knew that in the end, you would do what had to be done. That was my one comfort – that no matter how upset you were, you would be there for Emily."

He held her close to him. Someday he would tell her how he had almost not been, but not now, not today.

She continued talking. "I didn't sleep well at night and I used to imagine that we were together. That you were holding me and making love to me. I would call out to you and I would imagine that I heard you answer. But sometimes I had nightmares about the explosion. I would dream that I was really in that house and I would call out to you to save me."

He looked at her then, a strange expression on his face.

"What's the matter?" she asked.

"Okay, I don't believe in any spooky stuff, you know that, right?"

"Sure."

"Okay, that being said, I couldn't sleep either. And I would imagine you were here and that I was making love to you."

"Well, that's normal, I guess, that we would both be imagining being together."

"Then I would have dreams of you in the fire calling for me to rescue you."

She hesitated, then said, "I guess that's pretty normal, too. Considering that you thought I died in the fire, right?"

"I also thought I heard you talking to me. Once I even thought you called me on the phone!"

"I did do that! I got hold of his phone and dialed you. But he took it from me before I could say more than, 'Greg, help me.'"

"So that did happen! Okay, okay, then, that makes sense. It wasn't a strange dream or a paranormal experience."

"Did you think it was?" she asked cautiously.

"No, of course not. There's no such thing."

They looked at each other for a moment in puzzlement, then audibly breathed a sigh of relief. But in their hearts they knew that something amazing had happened between them.

There was one more thing she needed to know. "I know you were probably lonely while I was gone, so I understand if you…" she couldn't quite put it in words.

He understood. "Yeah, the night I found out, I started banging every woman I saw. It's been non stop since then. In fact, someone should be arriving soon. I guess I should call her."

She just stared at him.

He kissed the tip of her nose. "You silly girl. It's only been four months. And my wife just 'died.' How callous do you think I am? No, don't answer that.

"To tell you the truth, I was a mess for a long time. And not thinking about other women. Last week, Wilson dragged me to a bar with him. Lots of gorgeous women. But I couldn't rise to the challenge, as they say."

She smiled. "Seems like you're ready for that battle now."

He raised his eyebrows and grinned. "Seems like. Kate, I only ever want you."

She started kissing him again and before long they were making love.

Afterwards, they lay together, just happy to hold each other.

"Greg, there's something I need to tell you. It's important."

A little afraid of what it was, he said carefully, "What?"

She took a deep breath. "I want Monica to live with us."

"Are you crazy? The daughter of the man who almost killed you? You want her here in our home? Let's just open the prisons and have the inmates over for a picnic while we're at it!"

"She's not a criminal. She didn't do anything wrong. And she saved my life. I know I would be dead if it wasn't for her." Kate was adamant. "Greg, she doesn't have anyone. They'll put her in foster care and with what happened, she'll be ostracized. I can't let that happen to her."

House looked at his wife. She was alive. He had thought he would never hold her again, yet he had just made love to her. At that moment, he would have given her the earth, the moon and the stars if he could.

"Okay, if this is what you want, she can live with us."

Wilson offered to take Emily to day care for them, so that they could spend some time alone. After making love a few more times, they headed to the police station so that Kate could give her statement. As soon as she entered, Joanne grabbed her friend and held her.

"Oh, my Lord, Katie, I can't believe this! Oh, my Lord!"

Tears were running down the older woman's eyes. They had talked on the phone the night before and Kate had told her to come to the gathering to hear the story. Joanne had cried on the phone and thought she was done crying, but once she saw her friend, the tears started anew.

Soon, though, Kate was surrounded by cops. Everyone was ecstatic to see her. Paul had announced her "rebirth" to the precinct the day before, but it had been so unbelievable that seeing her was necessary to make it real.

Eventually, Kate was able to break away from all the happy greetings and tell her story to Paul and another cop who had been assigned to the case. At her request, House sat in on the statement, holding her hand the entire time. There were times during the narrative, when his face clouded with anger, but he tried to remain calm for Kate's sake.

The other cops had bought donuts and they celebrated with them. At last, Kate and House were able to leave. They returned home just before the nanny got there with Emily. They all relaxed until their friends arrived at seven.

Everyone brought things. Cuddy had a deli platter and fresh rolls. Wilson had Chinese food. Cameron brought a tray filled with cheeses, pepperoni and crackers. Chase and Foreman had picked up beer, wine and soda. Joanne had baked a cake and cookies. Kate's former partner brought three large pizzas, loaded.

Once everyone had grabbed food and drink, they settled down on chairs, the sofa or the floor. Kate sat in an easy chair with Emily in her lap. She took a deep breath and began her story.


	32. Chapter 32: The Story Part 1

Chapter 32: The Story – Part 1

I'm usually pretty observant, but Pearson was good. He could disguise himself in ways that I never saw. Apparently he was watching me for a while, looking different each time and not doing anything that would make me suspicious. When I left the hospital after dropping Emily off at day care, there was a man walking out at the same time. He was dressed as a businessman and he looked nothing like Pearson. Nothing about him seemed odd. He was just a man leaving the hospital.

When I reached my car, he came up near me and asked me directions. I started to give them to him, when he got close to me and I realized he had a gun in his hand. I never saw it. I don't know how, but he was quick and smart. He put the gun in my side and brought me around to the passenger side so that I could slide in first and him right after me. He kept the gun on me the whole time.

Once we were in the car, he told me to slowly remove my gun and hand it to him. He knew I kept a clutch piece in an ankle holster and he asked for that too. He also took my cell phone and my purse. Then he told me to start driving.

He directed me to a house outside of the city. It was about an hour away and pretty isolated. He made me get out of the car. We went into the house and the smell hit me right away. I knew something was definitely wrong here. That's when I saw them. Three bodies lying on the floor. A man, a woman and a teenage girl. They all looked like homeless people. Obviously he had killed people that he assumed wouldn't be missed by anyone.

He was still holding the gun when he asked me to take off my wedding ring. When I did, he told me to put it on the woman's ring finger. I did that too. I noticed that the man's body already had a wedding ring on it. I recognized it from the pictures I had studied of Pearson. It was his. And the teenager had a necklace that was engraved "Monica". But it wasn't her. I had studied his daughter's picture as well.

I realized he was setting this up to look like him, Monica and me. I wasn't sure yet why, but I didn't like it. I tried to think of something I could do, but he seemed to read my mind.

He told me, "I would like you to be alive, but if you don't cooperate, I won't have any problem killing you. I just thought you would prefer to be alive and with Monica and myself."

That was what got me and he knew it. He remembered how I always asked about Monica when he called me. He knew I would do anything to help her survive. I couldn't do that if I were dead.

He made me take off my shoes and leave them near the front door. He had me put my purse near the woman's body. I wondered how he was going to make anyone believe that these people were us. He was too smart not to know that DNA and dental records would prove the identities. Still, he continued to set everything up. Once he seemed happy with everything, he pulled out my cell phone and dialed a number. I realized who he had called when I heard him speak.

"This is Jack Pearson. I am sure you are wondering where Detective Martin is. I thought I'd just give you that information. Although this may be too late for you to recover her. Still, you can try."

Then he gave them the address where we were. He didn't disconnect the call, but threw the cell phone on the floor near the woman's body. I tried to yell something that I hoped the cops would hear.

"It's not what it looks like…"

He cut me off by shoving the gun up to my neck and yelling himself. "Nothing's gonna save you now, Kate. It's finished." Then he murmured low, so that the phone couldn't pick it up. "Say anything else and you will be dead."

He removed some duct tape from his pocket and secured my mouth and my hands with it. He moved me out of the room and the house through a back door. There was a car waiting there. He pushed me inside and taped my legs together. Then he got into the driver's seat and started the car.

He didn't drive very far. Just out of the view of the house, behind a copse of trees where we could see the house, but someone there couldn't see us. Then we waited.

It took less than an hour for the cops to come screeching up to the house. As soon as Pearson heard the sirens, he pulled out two small electronic devices. When the cops got out of their cars, he pushed a button on one. I could hear, faintly, a voice coming from the house. I couldn't make out the words, but it sounded like Pearson's voice. I heard the cops more clearly as their voices were amplified towards where we were sitting.

"Stay calm, Pearson. If you come out now with Detective Martin, we can get you a deal. But if you kill a cop, you're going to be in trouble."

There was something else said from the house, then a bright light and an explosion louder than anything I've ever heard. When the dust cleared, the house was a pile of rubble. The cops had all scattered. I couldn't see if any of them had been hurt, but tears filled my eyes just the same. I knew that some of them were probably my friends come out to rescue me. And they might be injured or dead because of me.

Before the cops had a chance to realize anything, he pulled away. There was no way they could see his car from where we were. We drove for several more hours until we came to a really isolated cabin in the pine barrens. He all but dragged me inside and put me into a room in the cellar with no windows and no means of escape. The only good thing about the room was that I wasn't alone. Monica was there.

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For the first few days, I held out some hope that I would be rescued. But slowly I came to realize that Pearson had set it up and destroyed the house perfectly so that it would be impossible to identify the bodies. Everyone would think we were dead. No one would come looking for us. I was on my own.

The hardest part was knowing that Greg would think I was dead. I had promised him that I wouldn't die and I knew he would be upset. But I also knew that he would recover and go on because of Emily. He would take care of her. He wouldn't let me down.

Pearson brought us food, drink and some clothing. At first, Monica was silent. She had already spent six months locked up after seeing her mother murdered by her father. She didn't know what to make of me.

Eventually, she realized we were both her father's prisoners and she began to talk to me. She's such a sweet girl, despite everything she's been through. If she hadn't been there, I might have given up. I might have thought 'there's no way out, why even try?' But I couldn't let this kid give up, so I told her we would get out. In convincing her, I convinced myself. And we started to make plans.

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The room he kept us in was small, no more than 10 by 10. There was a sink and a toilet in it, but no windows. We had no way of knowing if it was day or night. I tried to keep track, but before long, I couldn't. So I had no idea how much time passed. Pearson brought us food once a week. We had to make it last for the entire week. The first time, we didn't know that and finished it in four days. We went hungry for three until he brought us more. We had one box of cereal, 2 loaves of bread, a jar of peanut butter and twelve bottles of water. That was it, and it had to last a week. Monica was really hungry. I gave her more of the food, she's a kid, she's still growing.

Our weekly supplies also included soap, toilet paper and paper towels. After pleading, he finally gave us some cleaning supplies as well. He brought us some clothes, clearly bought at a thrift store. I had two pairs of pants, two t-shirts and one sweater. Monica had brought some of her own clothes, so she had a little more.

We had to wash them in the sink and hang them up to dry. Since there were no windows, that took forever. By the time they were dry, we needed to wash the clothes we were wearing. We tried to go for several days before washing them. The longer we were in there, the longer we could go. Things like clean clothes stopped being important when you're locked up like that.

I think he wanted to keep us weak. Everything was about power to him. The weaker we were, the more powerful he was. He loved to have us beg for stuff. But he really loved playing god to us.

Not too long after we were imprisoned, I thought I would try to escape. I'm a trained cop, I know how to take someone down. When he came in with food and supplies, I attacked him, using all the fighting moves that I knew. Unfortunately, I didn't count on my reduced capacity due to lack of food. I was weak, I was light-headed. I was also unaware of his ability. He could fight too. He took me down, quickly. Then he beat the crap out of me.

(At this point, House holds her hand and squeezes it.)

If it wasn't for Monica, I might have died that day. She cleaned my wounds and made sure I ate and drank. Eventually, I recovered. But I knew we had to be much more clever if we wanted to get out of there. I had the bruises and scars to remind me of that. Still do.

She made the days bearable as well. We didn't have a TV or even a radio, so we talked. We told each other the stories of every movie or TV show we'd ever seen and every book we'd ever read. We played word games like twenty questions. We sang every song either of us knew. We kept each other sane.

Nights were the worst. I lay awake, unable to sleep, missing Greg and Emily. I had no idea if I would ever get out of there, if I would die in that little room. I'm not a spiritual person, I don't pray and I don't believe in the supernatural. But on those nights, I would close my eyes and imagine Greg was beside me. As strange as it sounds, sometimes I felt him there, almost as if our minds were reaching out and touching each other. Last night, he told me he felt me with him too, so who knows?

Days, weeks passed. I didn't even know how much time. Each day flowed into the next, each more monotonous than the last. I knew that if I didn't do something, we'd be imprisoned in that little room until we died.


	33. Chapter 33: The Story Part 2

Chapter 33 – The Story, Part 2

Monica and I worked together to figure out our escape. She's a very smart girl. Since Pearson was her father, she knew him better than I did. We talked about everything he did when he came in once a week to bring our groceries.

He was all about power. That was why he had beaten his wife. She made more money than him and it made him feel weak. He'd had to show that he was the 'man' of the family. And the more she tried to stand up to him, the more he beat her. That last time, she had threatened to leave him (though I don't understand why she didn't before that), He had turned red with rage and couldn't stop beating her until he killed her.

So, did we use his rage and need for power or did we go in the other direction? Normally, I would have gotten him riled up and then dealt with him, but I had to face my physical limitations. Lack of food and sunlight had diminished my strength. Also, I had tried standing up to him already and he had used my weakness to beat me up. So I was still recovering from wounds inflicted.

My health having made our decision for us, we started our plan. When he arrived with the groceries the next time, I smiled at him. Believe me, it was the hardest smile I've ever had to give. He looked at my smile, suspicious of my motives.

I said to him, in a hesitant way, "I think you know how much I care about Monica. I'm really happy that you allowed me to get to know her. I just wanted to thank you for that. And to let you know that I already feel like she's my daughter. I wish she really could be. Maybe someday we could start being a real family."

I didn't expect it to work right away. He laughed, not believing anything I was saying. But I just smiled at him and returned to my bed.

I repeated my performance the next week, trying to seem even more sincere. I even put my hand on his arm. I complimented him on his intelligence in setting this whole thing up and told him how impressed I was that he had outsmarted me. I kept this up in the next few weeks, adding things like I was happy he had relieved me of my 'hard' life as a cop, not to mention my unhappy marriage.

(She squeezed House's hand and smiled at him.)

It took awhile, but he began to believe me. I started to convince him that to be a family, we needed to be together more. So he started to come to us more often. Monica and I talked to him and treated him like the head of the family. He began to relax. But I knew he was smart and we had to handle this carefully.

He always had his gun with him. My objective was to get the gun away. Then we would have control. After we had started to gain his trust, I started to greet him with a hug, as did Monica. He was hesitant at first, but then he began to hug back. Finally he hugged me back and tried to kiss me, and I knew we were ready.

The next time he came, I approached him and he grabbed me and kissed me. While he was doing it, I reached into his waistband where he kept the gun. I pulled it out and drew away from him, gun in hand. He was furious. He kicked me and the gun flew across the room. Instead of going for it, he reached for me. He punched me and knocked me down. Then he got on top of me and starting strangling me. He was much stronger than I was. My police training wasn't helping me due to my weakened health. I was sure he was going to kill me. I said a silent goodbye to Greg and Emily.

Then I heard a gunshot. Pearson fell on top of me. I was confused. Suddenly I remembered – Monica! I pushed him off of me and looked up. Monica was standing there with the gun in her hand, looking horrified. I got up as quickly as I could and took the gun from her. She started to cry.

"It's okay," I told her. "You just saved my life. It's okay."

"I just killed my dad." She sobbed.

"I know you did, honey. But he stopped being your dad a long time ago. A loving dad would never have put you through this."

"He was going to kill you. I couldn't let him kill you!"

"You're very brave. You saved my life." I wanted to continue to reassure her, but we needed to get out of there. I wasn't sure if he was dead and I didn't want to get close enough to find out. I didn't think I had the strength to fight him if he wasn't and I couldn't depend on this frightened girl to shoot him again if necessary.

I took her hand and dragged her out of the room. I shut the door behind us, not knowing if he had a way to open it. We hurried up the stairs and found the front door. We went outside and I breathed fresh air for the first time in a long, long time.

Pearson's car was sitting outside, but there were no keys in it. I ran back into the house. They weren't laying around anywhere. He must have put them in his pocket. I didn't want to go down and check, so I went back outside and told her we'd have to do it on foot.

The house was really isolated, not much more than a cabin really, somewhere in the pine barrens. I had no clue where. He had taken our shoes, so we had to do it barefoot. I figured away from the cabin was better than near it, so we just started walking.

I don't know how long we walked. It was daylight when we started and it was dark when I said we could stop and take a break. We could have been going in circles for all I knew. I'm a city girl, I don't know anything about finding your way in the woods. I found us a spot that was covered by bushes so that we would be hidden if by some chance Pearson was alive and coming after us. Then we slept for a few hours, holding on to each other for warmth.

When I woke up, the sun was just starting to come up. I roused Monica and we started off again. This time I tried to take better notice of my surroundings. I saw that the trees seemed to be getting sparser at some points, but were thicker at others. I headed towards the sparser trees and sure enough, we found the highway! I still kept us back near the trees in case Pearson was pursuing, but I kept watching the highway.

Finally, I saw a police car coming down the road. I ran out, waving my arms until he stopped. It turned out to be a state police trooper. I told him our story. I could tell he didn't quite believe us, but two women wandering the interstate barefoot in October was suspicious enough for him to take us in to his barracks to investigate.

I repeated the story there to the trooper's supervisor. He immediately called the Princeton PD to verify. Of course, they told him that Kate Martin was dead, but they verified what I had told him about the house exploding. Their response made him think that he should take my picture and send it to them. Once Princeton PD saw it, they knew it was me and told him. The state police offered to take me back to Princeton. Monica was under Social Services care and they would have to find out where she belonged before she was taken anywhere.

They gave me some sneakers to wear and put me into a car to take me home. They asked if I was hungry. When I said I was, the trooper driving pulled into a McDonalds and bought me an Egg McMuffin and orange juice. I don't think I've ever eaten anything as wonderful in my life! It wasn't peanut butter!

I begged them to bring me to PPTH. I told them my husband and daughter would be there and I needed to see him before anything else. They agreed and called my department to tell them that's where we were going.

When we got to the hospital, they tried to go through official channels to get me in, but I was too excited. I ran for the elevator, they barely made it in with me. When I got off, I took off down the hall with those poor troopers following and trying to hold me back. Nothing could stop me. I knew that Greg was near by and I had to get to him.

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By the end of the narrative, House was sitting on the arm of the chair that Kate was in with his arm around her shoulders. He squeezed them now. Although he had heard her tell the police the story and she had also revealed most of it to him as well, it was still daunting to listen to it now. All he could think of was how happy he was that she was alive and returned to him.

As Kate's story ended, all their guests sat still, amazed at what she had been through and that she had survived it. They now understood her weight loss and apparent weakness in what had been a strong, confident woman. Everyone hoped that she would return to that woman.

**A/N: Okay, it's not over, but I promise no more "deaths" or breakups. There will be drama for the House family before it all ends, but I think they can handle it. The end is in sight, but still some more to go. Thanks for the great reviews!**


	34. Chapter 34: Changing

Chapter 34: Changing

Everyone stayed for some time more, asking Kate questions and eating more of the food. The main question was what had happened to Pearson?

Kate looked somber as she told them, "The bullet didn't kill him, but it did incapacitate him. By the time the police arrived, he bled to death."

"I guess, in the long run, that's better." Cuddy observed.

"No, it's not." House said.

Everyone looked at him.

"Because now I don't get the satisfaction of killing him myself."

Kate just squeezed his hand and said, "You're right. It's better.

Everyone seemed satisfied that he had died in pain.

Finally, around midnight, the last of the guests left. House and Kate were alone again. They picked up the trash and then headed to bed.

After climbing in, House put his arm around Kate and held her close.

"I'm really glad you're not dead."

"Yeah, me too! Alive is definitely better." She chuckled. Then she sighed and snuggled closer to him. "But now I need to think about the rest of this life and what I'm going to do with it."

"What are you talking about?" He was suspicious. He didn't like change and there had been more than enough of it in the past four months.

"I talked with Paul when we were at the station today. He told me I could come back to work whenever I'm ready."

"Well, that's good. Right?" He asked when she didn't say anything.

"Sure. Except that when they thought I was dead, they promoted another officer to detective to replace me. And they hired a young guy as a rookie cop. The budget can't handle another detective on the payroll, so if I go back, that officer gets demoted and the rookie gets fired."

"Geez, how dare you get kidnapped, let everyone think you're dead and disrupt their lives like that." He said, then added. "It wasn't your fault it happened and it's not your fault if they lose their jobs."

"I know. But the cop that got the promotion has been on the force a long time and has wanted that promotion for years. And the rookie is recently married with a kid on the way."

"Oh, well, in that case, you may as well just continue to be dead. Kate, you can't take on other people's problems. That's just the way things go."

"I know that. If that was the only thing, I would just deal with it."

He looked at her. "So what else is there?"

She hesitated, then said, "I'm not sure I want to go back."

"Seriously?"

"I was under the complete control of someone for a long time. I don't think I want to take orders from Paul or anyone again. I'm not ready to be restricted."

"So don't go back. I make enough money, you don't need to work."

She sighed. "Greg, the only thing I've ever wanted to be in my life was a cop. And I'm not the housewife type. What would I do if I wasn't a cop?"

"Who says you have to figure it out right now? Take your time. Adjust to being free. Get to know your daughter again. Make love to your husband as much as you can. That should be a definite goal for you."

She smiled. "We also have a new member of our family to welcome."

"Yeah, I almost forgot about that."

"Greg, I know you're uneasy about this. But Monica is terrific. I know you'll love her once you get to know her. And it is going to be hard for her to adjust to everything, especially in the beginning. It's not a bad idea for me to hang around and help her. But what else would I do?"

"Anything you want. You mentioned once that you wished you'd gotten your Bachelor's degree."

"Yeah, I only got an Associated degree from Philadelphia's Community College. It was the minimum I needed to get into the police academy."

"So go back to school and get your B.A."

She laughed. "I'm kinda old to go to college."

"Well, you are a bit decrepit, but not as bad as some. There was a woman last spring just got her degree and she was 70 years old. You've got more than thirty years to go to beat that."

She thought for a few moments. "I guess you're right that I don't have to decide right now. Paul said I could come back when I was ready. Maybe if I take a little time, I would be ready to go back. Or maybe I'll be ready to do something else."

Kate found adjusting to her life again a little daunting for many reasons.

She had always been very healthy, with a slim, strong, toned body. She had worked out daily, and even after the baby was born, had fairly quickly returned to her normal shape.

Now she was unhealthily thin from the lack of food and pale and weak from the lack of sunlight.

She had been surprised to find all her clothes still in their closet. House sheepishly admitted that he had refused to get rid of them.

"One day I came home early to find Wilson and Joanne here packing them up. They thought they'd get them out while I wasn't here and I'd accept it. I threw a fit and made them put everything back where it was. They didn't try it again."

She was touched. But her clothes didn't fit her. She ended up wearing some sweatpants with drawstring waists that she could tighten up and old t-shirts that had shrunk from too many washings.

She had truly missed the fresh air and sunlight. So now she wanted to spend as much time outside as she could. However, November in New Jersey wasn't warm and sunny. There were some pleasant days, but more that were cold and damp. She refused to wear a heavy coat, she refused any kind of restrictions. So House often found her outside in 40 degree weather with just a t-shirt and sweat pants on. She ended up with a constant runny nose and sore throat and with her weakened condition, he was afraid she'd end up with pneumonia. He monitored her continually and chided her every time he found her outside. But he couldn't be home with her 24 hours a day.

Physically, she was still weak. Although she had all the food she wanted now, her stomach wasn't used to the extra food, so after some bouts of vomiting and diarrhea, House had advised her to introduce new foods slowly, starting with softer and blander foods.

Kate was also frustrated by her physical weakness. She'd prided herself on always being healthy and strong. She tried to do her normal workout, but was winded after a few minutes. She couldn't eat enough of the healthy food she needed to gain more strength because everything upset her stomach. And she felt constricted if she was indoors more than a few hours.

House was worried about her. "I'm taking you into the hospital tomorrow for tests."

"No, Greg, I don't want to go to the hospital."

"Tough. You need to get completely checked out." He stared at her with determination, ready for the fight he knew she would give him."

She looked at him, then to his horror, she started crying. "I really don't want to go, Greg. Please don't make me, please?"

House pulled her into his arms and held her close. "Kate, honey, it's okay. You don't have to do anything. I just want to be sure that there's nothing wrong with you other than being weak from what happened."

"Are you going to leave me in the hospital?"

"You think this is just a trick to get rid of you? Sorry, but if I wanted to do that, I would have been partying when you were dead."

"I won't have to stay there?"

"Not unless there's something seriously wrong with you. And if that's the case, I'll be staying with you."

Kate seemed to calm down with those words. "Okay, then, I guess I can go."

House was glad that she stopped crying and agreed to go to the hospital, but he missed the wife he knew that would have fought him tooth and nail to get her own way.

The tests showed nothing wrong other than the weakness he knew about. But Cameron, who had examined her, as well as Wilson and Cuddy who had been talking with her, advised him to have her see a therapist to deal with the things that happened to her.

House didn't like therapists much, but realized they were probably right. However, when he brought the subject up to Kate, she burst into tears again and begged him not to make her do it.

So when he saw her finally get angry, not weepy about something, he knew that would be the thing that would save her. And that thing was Monica.


	35. Chapter 35: Getting Monica

**Thanks for the reviews. The story is not over yet.**

Chapter 35: Getting Monica

Getting Monica into their home wasn't as easy as Kate had thought. Due to their experiences, some of the social workers assigned to their case thought that the girl would be better off in a home that didn't remind her of what had happened. But all of the available foster homes had heard the story on the news and were uneasy about taking a girl who had a murderer for a father and had been responsible for killing him. So she stayed in juvenile hall until a decision could be made.

Kate was livid.

"Not that I want her to go anywhere else, but those stupid foster homes don't know what a terrific kid she is and they will never give her enough of a chance to find out. So why don't they just give her to us and be done with it? But no, she has to stay in juvie like a criminal while bureaucrats keep tying bows in their red tape!"

House wasn't anxious for Monica Pearson to come to live with them, although he refrained from telling his wife that, but he wasn't unhappy to see Kate get worked up about something. He hated knowing that since her return from "the dead," she'd been a shadow of herself.

Kate called Social Services almost daily and was usually given the runaround. Finally, she was connected to Mildred Frisk, who was in charge of Monica's case. When Kate could get nothing out of the woman on the phone, she went to her office to talk to her.

She managed, somehow, to get to the woman's office and as she sat in the chair across from her, asked Mrs. Frisk why she couldn't get Monica into her care.

"Frankly, Mrs. House, I don't think it is in the child's best interest to be living with you."

"Why not?"

"Because you would remind her of her incarceration and her father's death. She needs to be able to put those things behind her to move on with her life."

"I do understand what you're saying. But you've already said that no one else wants her. I do. And I can help her get over it. I know what she's been through, better than anyone."

"Yes, you shared her imprisonment. But you don't know her pain of having killed her own father."

Kate couldn't bring herself to tell this woman that she had killed her almost father as well, not even for Monica. She would save that as a last resort.

"Well, no. But if you have looked at my history, you will see that I also witnessed my mother's violent death at the hands of a man who supposedly cared for her. So we have a lot in common."

"There is also your husband to consider."

"What about my husband?" Now Kate was getting angry. No one insulted her Greg. "He's a well-respected, world famous doctor."

"Yes, but he also has a criminal record for drug addiction."

"Those charges were dropped. My husband has a physical malady that necessitates his need for pain medication. I'm a police officer with a spotless record. Do you really think I would marry someone with a criminal past?"

"No, no, of course not. It's not just that." She hesitated. "I've inquired about him. He has a reputation as, well, not a very nice person. I'm concerned that he won't have the patience to deal with a child like Monica. She doesn't need any more mistreatment."

Kate was horrified. She knew she had to hold down her temper or all would be lost. "He would never, ever hurt her in any way. Yes, he can be short with his patients, because usually they've lied to him and made it harder for him to help them. But he is extremely patient and loving with our daughter."

"That's his own child and she's just a baby. I can't be assured he would be the same way with a troubled teenager. I'm sorry, Mrs. House, I just can't recommend this. I will continue to review the case, but I wouldn't hold out too much hope."

Kate was dejected by Mrs. Frisk's words. She was also angry that the woman would question House's ability to deal with Monica. She told him about their conversation and expected him to have the same reaction. When he remained silent, she questioned him on it.

He took a moment, then said, "I'm not sure she's wrong."

"You don't think I would be good for Monica?"

"I think you'd be great. I think she's right about me."

"No, she's not."

"Kate, I have a temper, I'm not patient, I'm not kind and understanding. I really don't know how I'll react to a teenager with her own problems. I could very well make it worse for her."

"I don't believe that." Kate said emphatically. "You would never deliberately hurt a young, troubled girl. And you were unbelievably understanding when I told you about my past."

"I was sleeping with you, there's a difference."

"No, there isn't. You can be compassionate with people who are in need of it. I've seen you do it. You try to hide it and you won't admit it to anyone, but you do it. You'll do it for Monica as well. But we need to get her first!"

House could see how important this was to Kate. And he began to think about what he could do to make it happen.

Kate began calling everyone she knew in the police department, the mayor's office, the D.A. to see if there was anything she could do to get Monica. No one offered her a shred of hope. Social Services was out of their jurisdiction and no one had the connections.

Then, a few days later, out of the blue, Mrs. Frisk called her.

"Will you be able to accept Monica into your home tomorrow?"

"What? What are you talking about? I thought you said…"

"Well, when you have friends in high places, they overrule the judgment of a civil servant like me."

"What friends?"

"Please don't play games, Mrs. House. When you have a U.S. Senator and possible presidential contender to speak in your behalf, there is no need to feign ignorance. This agency would never refuse Senator Wright. He has done a lot to help us, from getting us additional funding to personally taking an interest in the children."

"Senator Wright? Senator Gary Wright?"

"Yes, Senator Gary Wright. Enough of this. Can you take her tomorrow?"

"Of course!"

They spoke a few more minutes arranging times, then hung up. Kate did a little dance around the room. She tried to call House, but he was involved with his patient. When he arrived home a few hours later, she ran to him and jumped into his arms.

"You'll never guess what happened!"

"Well, I've gotten good at mind reading, so let me see, old lady Frisk called and said you've got Monica."

She stopped and looked at him. "How did you know?"

"I told you, mind reading."

"You already knew. You did this, didn't you?"

He walked to the cabinet and pulled out the scotch bottle, not answering her.

"She said Senator Gary Wright arranged this. I thought someone from the mayor's office called him, but it was you, wasn't it? How do you know him?"

House sighed, then took a sip of his drink before saying, "He was a patient."

"You cured him?"

"No, I killed him. This is a favor from the great beyond. What do you think? I also found he didn't have AIDS, which is important for a presidential hopeful."

"So what did you do? You called him…"

"Yep. Told him your problem, asked if he could help. I got a call from his secretary today. She told me battle-axe Frisk would be calling you."

Kate was unbelievably moved. "Greg, this is the nicest thing you've ever done for me."

"Not that big a deal."

"Yes, it is. You never communicate with patients after you're done with them. You don't want their gratitude. You don't want them to owe you. You forget about them when it's over. The fact that you would contact a U.S. Senator and call in a favor is huge. You've never done anything as wonderful for me as this."

"Well, as you said, I don't want gratitude, so forget it."

"I'm sure I can find a way to thank you that you would accept."

"Oh, what did you have in mind?"

She put her arms around his neck and began to kiss him, rubbing her body along his.

"Hmm," he said, "I guess I can accept your act of gratitude, if you're so determined."


	36. Chapter 36: A New Addition

**A/N: No, I didn't forget about this story, just got too busy in real life. I'll try to have another chapter up by the end of this week or beginning of next. Thanks to all who have stayed with it and especially those who take the time to tell me about it. I still love to hear from you...**

Chapter 36: A New Addition

At one o'clock the next day, Kate was waiting anxiously for Monica's arrival. She had begged House to be there when the girl arrived and he had promised to try. When he walked in the door at 12:59, she almost collapsed with relief, then punched him in the arm for keeping her waiting. She also had to stop him from pouring himself a drink. The last thing she needed was him smelling of booze when Social Services arrived.

The doorbell rang a few minutes later. Kate opened the door to Mrs. Frisk standing there alone.

"Where's Monica?" Kate asked, beginning to panic.

"She'll be here in a few minutes. I wanted to get here before her so that I could speak with you…and your husband." She added, as she entered the room and saw House there.

House looked the woman over, assessing her quickly. A low level bureaucrat, obsessed with her own importance, he concluded.

Mrs. Frisk continued. "You may think I was unreasonable in denying your request for the child, but I truly have her best interest at heart. And even the recommendation of a senator will not keep her in this home if I feel it is detrimental to her well-being. Therefore, I will personally be monitoring her progress. I will expect you to take her to a therapist to deal with her problems and I will expect regular reports from the therapist. Is that understood?"

"Yes, of course." Kate said.

"I will also be making unannounced visits to this house to be sure she is doing well."

"That's not a problem."

Mrs. Frisk turned to House. "Dr. House, you have a reputation as a brutally honest person. Therefore, I am going to be honest with you. I do not believe that you will be able to deal with this child. If I find any indication that you have caused her any unhappiness, I will pull her from this situation."

House opened his mouth to answer the woman, but Kate stepped in first. "You don't have to worry. She'll be happy and well taken care of here. Won't she, Greg?"

House looked at his wife's pleading face, and held back what he wanted to say. Instead, he ground out, "Absolutely."

"Dr. House, you can say anything you like to me. It won't bother me. You can't say anything that I haven't heard before. Be as nasty as you like to me."

He opened his mouth again to do just that, but the woman interrupted him.

"The only think I ask, no, demand, is that you not be nasty to Monica. She has had a hard enough life and she does not need that from you. If I feel that you have mistreated this girl in any way, I will take her away, senator or no senator."

They were all stopped from saying any more on the subject by a knock on the door. Once again, Kate ran to open it. This time, there was a young girl standing there with a woman from juvenile hall behind her.

Monica was of medium height for her age. She had sandy blonde hair and brown eyes. In other words, she was a perfectly plain, normal looking kid. Except that once she saw Kate, her eyes lit with joy. Kate's did the same. They were immediately hugging each other.

"Oh, honey," Kate said, "How are you?"

"So much better now that I'm here. I didn't think I'd ever be allowed to be with you."

"I promised you, didn't I? I told you I don't break my promises."

Monica just held Kate tighter. Finally, they broke apart. Still holding Monica's hand, Kate drew her into the room.

"Come on, there's someone I want you to meet. Monica, this is my husband, Greg."

Monica looked quickly at him, then looked at the floor.

"How ya doing?" House said.

"Hello, Dr, House." She said in a small voice.

Kate could feel the tension and awkwardness in the room. Deciding that easing into the relationship would be for the best, she pulled Monica with her.

"Come on, I want to show you your room. It's pretty plain right now, but I thought we could decorate it together. However you want."

"Really?" she said, excitement on her face as she looked at Kate and avoided House. They headed towards the bedrooms.

Mrs. Frisk looked at House. "Do you really think you are going to be able to care for that child?"

"I don't know. But my wife can."

The woman let out a laugh. "Don't kid yourself, Dr. House. She will be as much your responsibility as your wife's. If you can't deal with her, you could cause her more harm than good. You should consider that before you take this on."

"I've considered. We'll be fine."

"Hmmph." She snorted.

"I said, we'll be fine. Don't you have civil servant things to do? Isn't this nap time in government offices?"

She shook her head. "Not very original, Doctor. I would have expected better from you. Civil servant jokes are so overdone. Yes, I will be leaving. But remember, I will be watching you."

"I'll be sure to leave the window shades open. If you're going to be watching, you may as well get a good view."

Mrs. Frisk left and House closed the door behind her. He moved slowly to the piano. He could hear Kate and Monica's voices from the kitchen. What the hell was he going to do?

House didn't see a lot of Monica – or Kate for that matter – during the next few days. The two of them looked over the larger guest room that Kate had selected for Monica and decided what they needed to do to make it comfortable for her. The room had Kate's old bedroom furniture from her apartment. It was a light oak color and in good condition. Kate told the young girl that they could buy whatever she needed to make it her own.

Kate took her to Home Depot for paint. Monica selected pale yellow for three walls and an electric blue for the accent wall. They returned home and spent the next day getting the room painted.

When that was finished, they went to Bed, Bath and Beyond and found a comforter with a light blue background and large yellow and blue flowers. They also found curtains with a small floral print that picked up all the colors. They bought a few sets of sheets in a variety of blues and yellows. A print caught Monica's eye and Kate bought that for her as well.

Then they went to IKEA and found a desk in a similar wood color. They got a desk lamp for it in the same electric blue as the wall, as well as a desk chair with a cushion the same color. They found some throw pillows for the bed and a bookshelf in the same oak. Then they needed a comfy chair that Monica could relax in for reading.

Once again, they spent hours in the bedroom getting everything set up, rearranging the furniture until it was perfect.

The next day was spent shopping for clothes. Monica had left behind the few items from the house. She didn't want any reminders of those months spent there. Social Services had given her a few items to wear, but they were old and didn't fit her well. Kate took her to Old Navy, where she picked out jeans and khakis, t-shirts and sweatshirts. They also purchased underwear, socks and sleep pants.

Next they headed to Charlotte Russe for some skirts, blouses and dresses and Payless for sneakers, shoes and a purse. They went to Bath and Body Works and Monica sniffed every fragrance until she found what she liked: Cherry Blossom. Kate bought her shower gel, body lotion, body splash and anti-bacterial gel. She also bought some of her own favorite Coconut Lime Verbena. She had spent so long smelling like disinfectant if she got a chance to wash at all, it was nice to finally have the chance to smell nice.

One more stop at CVS to buy personal care items and make-up and they headed home.

House was there when they arrived and his eyes bulged when he saw them carting in bag after bag.

"How much did you spend? He asked Kate.

"As much as I needed to."

"Do we need to take out another mortgage to pay for it?"

Kate ignored him as she continued to unload the packages and bring them to Monica's room.

"Kate, talk to me. How much did you spend? I'm just a doctor, not Donald Trump."

"Oh, shut up. You make enough money to pay for these things. Just stop complaining."

He mumbled something under his breath and limped back to pour himself a drink.

Monica heard him and had a panicked expression on her face. When she and Kate were alone in her room, she asked, "Is Dr. House angry at us for spending too much money? Because we can take some of this back. I should have thought…"

Kate interrupted her when she saw that she was getting upset. "You don't have to worry. He loves to complain, but he doesn't mean anything by it."

Monica wet her lips. "My father always got really upset when we spent any money. My mom always had to hide things from him. But if he found out, he got really angry."

"Is this when he hit your mom?" Kate remembered things Monica had said during their kidnapping, although she hadn't talked a lot on the subject.

"Yeah."

Kate could see more in her eyes. "Did he hit you too?"

Monica shrugged. "Sometimes."

Kate knew she didn't want to say anymore about it, so she just gave her a hug and said, "Don't worry, I can handle Greg. And he has never been violent with me. Now, let's get this stuff put away."

They spent the rest of the day hanging up the clothes and putting the personal stuff away. Then they picked out an outfit for Monica to wear to school. She would be starting in a new school on the next day.

Monica was with them for a few days when Kate told House she had made a decision.

"I'm leaving the force." She said.

"Are you sure? This is what you want?"

"No, I'm not completely sure. But I know that I don't want to go back right now. I called Paul today and he told me that any time there's an opening, he'll ask me first. So I'll always have the opportunity to go back if I want to. But right now, I need to try something else. Maybe I'll get bored, miss it and beg him for a job. But not now."

"So what are you gonna do?"

She hesitated, then said, "Do you really think I could go back to college?"

"Why not?"

'It's been almost twenty years since I was in school. It won't be easy to go back."

"When is life easy? You can do it, you can do anything you set your mind to."

She thought about that for a few moments, then nodded her head. "I guess so. I can try anyway. What have I got to lose?" she smiled at him, then asked, "So what do you think of Monica?"

"I think she's a teenager."

"Of course, but what do you think of her?"

"I don't know her well enough to think anything about her. She's only said three words to me since she's been here and they've been 'Yes, Dr. House.' Pretty hard to form an opinion based on that."

"She's a little scared of you."

"Of me?" House was shocked. "God, I didn't even wear my vampire mask and fangs yet."

"She hasn't had a positive relationship with a male before. Remember who her father was."

"And I remind her of him? Oh, this is great!"

"Just be patient with her. I know that you both will be friends when you have the chance."

Yeah, right, House thought, though he didn't say that to his wife.


	37. Chapter 37: Trying to Adjust Part 1

**Sorry for the delay. Funny how life seems to intrude on one's obsessions... Anyway, here's the first of three chapters that I will be posting in the next day or so. Enjoy and please continue to let me know what you think.**

Chapter 37: Trying to Adjust – Part 1: Separate Stories

House's Story

I just don't understand that girl.

I came home from work to find Kate, Emily and Monica in the kitchen. I could hear them talking and laughing from the hall.

When I entered, Kate smiled as usual and said, "Hi, Greg, how was your day?"

Emily, my little sweetie, reached out to me, excited as she could be and crying out, "Daddy! Daddy!" Gotta love that kid.

But Monica stopped talking and laughing and immediately dropped her eyes, afraid to even look at me. I don't think I've even seen her eyes yet.

Being me, I couldn't let that happen. I don't really care if anyone talked to me, unless they go out of their way not to. Then I have to do something about that. So after kissing Kate and picking up Emily, I turned to the teenager and said, "Hi, Monica, how are you?"

With her eyes still downcast, she mumbled, "Fine, Dr. House."

Kate interrupted, trying to distract me with something they did, but I cut her off and directed my remarks to Monica.

"Anything exciting happen at school?"

"No, Dr. House."

"Anything exciting happen at home?"

"No, Dr. House."

God, she was difficult. "Well, then I guess we're just a boring little group here, aren't we? Too bad."

Kate interrupted again, turning the conversation away from Monica and back to whatever she was talking about. I let her—for now. But I was going to get to the bottom of this mystery.

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Monica's Story

Kate and Emily and I were having a wonderful time in the kitchen. I used to cook before, to help my mom, so I was trying to show Kate how to make some easy stuff. We had just finished putting a casserole together and it was in the oven. We were laughing at how much landed on Kate's shirt, when he came in.

Of course, Kate smiled at him, as she always does, and said, "Hi, Greg, how was your day?"

And sweet little Emily, well she's too young to know any better, she started saying, "Daddy! Daddy!"

He kissed Kate and picked up Emily, but I could sense the coldness. I turned away. I didn't want to see those mean blue eyes. I couldn't stand it. He wasn't fooling me. I knew what he was really.

But he wouldn't leave me alone. He went out of his way to say, "Hi, Monica, how are you?"

I knew he couldn't care less how I was. I didn't look at him, I just answered, "Fine, Dr. House." I had been taught to be polite to my elders.

Kate interrupted him, trying to tell him something important to her, but he didn't care about what she had to say. He had to keep at me. "Anything exciting happen at school?"

Like he cared about my school and the fact that none of the kids liked me. Actually, they didn't even talk to me. I was just the murderer's kid, so they stayed far away. But I knew I had to answer him anyway.

"No, Dr. House."

I thought that would end it, but not with him.

"Anything exciting happen at home?"

"No, Dr. House."

God, he was a jerk. Instead of letting it go, he had to add one more stupid comment.

"Well, then I guess we're just a boring little group here, aren't we? Too bad."

I hated him. He was just as bad as my dad. Kate said he didn't hurt her, but I knew how women lied about that. My mom did all the time. Well, I wouldn't let it happen again. If he hurt Kate or Emily, I would make sure he paid for it. As for me, well, I had killed my own father. What did I care about this jerk?

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Kate's Story

I was with Monica and Emily in the kitchen when Greg came home. I was so excited that I had actually cooked something! I'd never done that before. So of course, there was a big smile on my face when Greg came in. I greeted him as I usually did.

"Hi, Greg, how was your day?"

Emily, being her daddy's girl, got so excited to see him and starting crying "Daddy! Daddy!"

Poor Monica looked away from him. She hadn't looked him in the eye since she got here.

Greg kissed me and picked up Emily, but, being Greg, he couldn't leave Monica alone. He deliberately addressed her, "Hi, Monica, how are you?"

She didn't look at him, as usual, just mumbled, "Fine, Dr. House." Her parents had taught her to be polite, but the bad things they'd done to her far outweighed the good.

I thought I would distract him from Monica, so I started to tell him about my day, but I should have known better. It's almost impossible to distract Greg House when he doesn't want to be. He kept looking at her and then cut me off by saying, "Anything exciting happen at school?"

I knew she wasn't happy at school, but so far she hadn't even given me details. There was no way she was going to tell him.

"No, Dr. House."

I thought that would be it, but no, he couldn't let it go.

"Anything exciting happen at home?"

"No, Dr. House."

God, they were both so infuriating. Why couldn't they learn to get along? Of course, Greg had to try to have the last word.

"Well, then I guess we're just a boring little group here, aren't we? Too bad."

I didn't let him go any further. I started talking and wouldn't let him interrupt. He seemed satisfied—for the moment.


	38. Chapter 38: Trying to Adjust Part 2

Chapter 38: Trying to Adjust – Part 2: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

Once Kate had decided to go back to college, she jumped into it with both feet. Having been away from it for so long, there were tests she needed to take and preliminary meetings with the university to determine her best course of study. This involved some time away from home to accomplish. Since she wanted someone to be there for Monica, she tried to schedule appointments when the girl was in school and Emily was in day care. However, some of the people she had to meet with only had free time in the evening or on Saturday. So she scheduled time when House could be home. The nanny was fine for Emily, but Monica needed one of them there.

On a Thursday evening in mid December, House found himself at home with two kids. He had just put Emily to bed. He left her bedroom with soft music playing as the toddler was falling to sleep. He closed her door and started down the hall.

Monica's door was slightly open. When he was her age, music would have been blaring from the room, as much to annoy his father as to actually listen to it. Nowadays, with MP3 players and headphones, all was quiet. He peeked in as he went past and saw her, as he thought, sitting at her desk with the headphones on. She was bent over something, pencil in hand. He stopped, trying to see if she was doing homework, but he didn't see any books.

Suddenly aware that she was being watched, she looked up nervously. When she saw him in the doorway, she paused the music and slowly removed the headphones. She looked at him, a question in her eyes, but she didn't speak.

Damn, the kid was a puzzle. He liked puzzles, but only as long as he could solve them. House decided to try to break the ice.

"Is everything okay?'

"Yes, Dr. House."

"Doing homework?"

"No, Dr. House."

"Do you know how to say anything other than 'yes, Dr. House' or 'no, Dr. House'?"

She looked down, wondering what he wanted, and afraid that she was making him angry. He might strike out like her father did. And since Kate wasn't home…

"Was there something you wanted, Dr. House?"

"Just wondering what you're doing."

"I already finished my homework."

"Hmm, don't think I asked that. I could be wrong. Sometimes I don't remember what I say." He stopped when he saw her expression. "I don't care if your homework is done or not. I was just wondering what you're doing."

She hesitated, then said, "Drawing."

At least she didn't add the 'Dr. House', he thought.

"Drawing? Really? You like to draw?"

"Yes."

"Are you any good?"

She looked at him, wondering how she was supposed to answer that. "I don't know. I just like it."

"Can I see?"

She hesitated, then nodded.

He didn't know whether he should enter her room, but she got up and walked to him, sketchbook in hand. She passed it to him silently and as he took it, she moved back, away from him.

"Relax, I don't bite." He looked at the book she had handed him. The page she had been working on contained figures drawn in pencil, a woman and a man. Both were tall and very slim, with large eyes and pointed faces. Their clothing was more fantasy than reality. They looked like something from a very sophisticated comic book. They were very well-drawn.

"This is good." He turned one page and then another. Each contained similar figures, all the drawings were excellent. "This is really good. What do you call this kind of drawing?"

"It's Japanese anime style. It's used in mangas."

"In what?"

"Mangas. They're like comic books, but they're longer, more detailed and for the most part, written for adults. It's a Japanese style of animation and drawing."

"Cool." He said. "How'd you learn to do this?"

"I started watching some of the anime on TV when I was a kid. Sailor Moon, at first."

"Sailor Moon?"

"It's a story about a group of school girls who have super powers. It's very popular in Japan, first in manga form, then as a TV show. I really liked it and started drawing the people from it. Then I read some of the other mangas and drawing them. Now, I do my own figures as well."

He didn't ask her if she wanted to be an artist. As a teenager, he had always hated when people asked him what he wanted to do with his life. All he had wanted to do was be a kid and get through it. He suspected Monica felt the same.

"Did you take art classes?"

"No. My…father thought they were a waste of money."

Like his father had felt about his music. Ironic.

"So this is just your natural ability?"

She nodded, embarrassed.

"It's good. It's really good. If you want art classes, you should take some."

She looked at him, startled. "Really?"

"Sure. Talk to Kate. She can probably find something for you."

"Thanks."

"Yeah, no problem." He decided to leave while he was ahead. He limped away from her door. Monica stood there for a few moments, watching him.

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It was a simple argument, the sort that married people have all the time. Due to House's impatient nature, to an outsider, every argument seemed louder and more serious.

It was a Saturday, not long before Christmas. House was getting ready to go the hospital. He didn't normally work on Saturdays, but he had a case that was stumping him. He was frustrated by it and also by the fact that he hadn't solved it by 5 PM on Friday.

Kate and the girls were in the kitchen having breakfast, when they heard a roar from the living room. Kate, knowing her husband, ignored it. Whatever was wrong, he would either figure it out for himself or demand her help.

It was the latter. She heard his bellow. "Kate!"

She went into the living room. "What's wrong?"

"Where's my backpack?" House demanded, loudly.

"Wherever you left it." She replied.

"I left it where I always do – by the door. So that when I go out in the morning, it will be there. But guess what? It's not. That means someone moved it."

"No, it probably means you left it somewhere else."

"I LEFT IT BY THE DOOR! " He yelled.

"Greg, if you left it there, it would be there. I have no desire to move your backpack. Did you…"

"Yes, I looked everywhere. It's not there. Someone took it!"

"Oh, right, a burglar waltzed in here, bypassed the TV and stereo, and grabbed your ratty old backpack."

"I DON'T WANT MY THINGS TOUCHED!" he yelled.

"I DIDN'T TOUCH IT!" She yelled back.

They went back and forth like this some more. As wrapped up in the argument as they were, they didn't notice Monica was in the room.

Kate tried to offer him suggestions, but he cut off her words, insisting that the backpack had been left by the door. He got louder by the moment, drowning out anything Kate said. They both jumped when Monica screamed, a high pitch shrill sound that got their attention.

"STOP IT!" she turned to House. "Don't you yell at her! Don't hurt her! I won't let you. I WON'T LET YOU!"

Kate could see the anger and fear in the girl's eyes. "Monica, it's okay…"she began.

"NO! I won't let it happen again. He killed my mother. I won't let him kill you. I stopped him before, I can do it again. I'll kill him if I have to!"


	39. Chapter 39: Trying to Adjust Part 3

Chapter 39: Trying to Adjust – Part 3: Beginning of Understanding

House and Kate looked at each other. House wanted to speak, but Kate held up a hand. She took Monica's hand and spoke quietly. "Honey, Greg isn't your dad. He's never hurt me. He never would."

"He's yelling at you. My dad yelled at my mom just like that. Then he would hit her. And the last time, he didn't stop and she died. I won't let him kill you!"

"Greg has never hit me. Never. He wouldn't. First of all, he knows I wouldn't let him. But he also loves me too much to hurt me. He's not your dad. He's NOT your dad."

Monica started crying. Kate tried to put her arms around her, but the girl ran from her and into her bedroom.

"Well, that was fun." House said.

"Poor kid. All she knows is people angry at each other and a man who hurts women." Kate said, sadly. "You didn't help with all the backpack nonsense."

"Well, I need it."

"So figure out what you did last night. You must have put it down somewhere else."

He looked down at the floor while Kate walked away to talk to Monica. He thought about his actions from the night before. Suddenly he remembered that he had brought it into the bedroom so that he could go over the case file while he was in bed. He limped to the bedroom and there it was. He picked it up and as he went past Monica's room, he could hear the girl crying and Kate trying to comfort her. He peeked in, held up the backpack for Kate to see, then waved and left.

Kate sighed and shook her head as he left. Caused all that trouble for nothing, she thought. Monica had been weeping uncontrollably and all Kate could really do was pat her back and hand her tissues. Once the tears started to subside, Monica looked up a Kate with red-rimmed eyes.

"Are you going to send me back?"

"Send you back where?"

"To Social Services."

"What? Of course not, what makes you think that?"

"I just threatened to kill your husband."

"It's not the first time he's been threatened. Probably won't be the last either. The thing is, I know you don't mean it."

"But I do." Monica said in a quiet voice, staring at her hands as they crumpled a tissue.

"No, you don't…"

"Kate," she interrupted, "If he hurt you or Emily, I would kill him. I mean it. Even if I have to go to jail, I don't care. I won't stand by and watch someone I love be hurt again."

Kate looked at the girl. She felt such love and sorrow for her. Poor child, she had gone through so much. Kate understood. She had felt the same way when she slammed that soccer trophy on the head of her mother's boyfriend, while her mother lay dead on the floor. Even though the incident had haunted her for the rest of her life, if she had the chance to go back, she wouldn't have done anything different. He deserved to die and that was that.

But she had to make her understand that it was different here and now. No one was threatening them.

"Monica, I do understand what you are feeling. Believe me, I do. And I agree with you. Because if anyone, anyone threatened Emily or you or Greg, I would stop them any way I could."

Monica felt a little thrill to be included in that statement.

"And," Kate continued, "If I thought Greg was threatening us, believe me, he would be out of our lives and in jail so fast you'd get dizzy." Then she added, quietly, "I'm not your mom. I don't take that. I fight back.

"I can tell you without reservation that Greg is not like your dad either. He would never, ever hurt us. Oh, he screams and shouts and wants his way, absolutely. But it's over in seconds and it never escalates to violence. Not with us. Do you believe me?"

"I guess. If you say so." Monica replied.

"Give him a chance. He's not a bad guy and he won't hurt you. And forget this stuff about sending you back. You're a part of this family now. You're staying."

Kate smiled, gave the girl a hug and went back to the kitchen where Emily was still munching on Cheerios.

Monica watched her leave. She took a deep breath. Kate was the smartest, coolest person she knew. If she believed in him, maybe he was okay. Monica wasn't sure and she wasn't going to let down her guard too easily, but she would watch and listen. If he turned out to be okay, well, then great. But if he didn't, Monica would take care of the people she loved.

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When House came home that afternoon, everything was quiet. He moved to their bedroom and found Kate laying on the bed reading.

"Hi," he said. "Where's Lizzie Borden?"

"Monica is at the library and that's not funny."

"But accurate. I'm sure that if she'd had an axe this morning, she would have given me forty whacks." House said, as he sat next to her on the bed.

Kate sighed and put down her book. "Greg, you have to be a little more understanding of her. She's trying so hard to adjust. The kids at school are alienating her because of what happened and she's so confused. On the one hand, we seem like a happy and loving family. On the hand, so did her parents until you looked beneath the surface. The whole thing almost destroyed her. She's so afraid that it will all happen again.

"I wouldn't have been surprised if she had retreated into subservience, based on the example her mother gave her. But she didn't, she's fighting back, fighting for her rights, her life. I'm so proud of her for doing that. We have to support her." Kate told him.

"I'd be thrilled to support her if she actually talked to me. I don't know any of this because she only communicates with you."

"Just have patience and give her time. Between the two of us, we are uniquely qualified to help her. You understand what it's like to be abused by your father and I know the pain of killing someone to help someone you love. We can make her a whole and happy person."

House looked at his wife. How did she get to be so kind and understanding? And how did he deserve a woman like that? He reached out and caressed her arm.

"Where's Emily?" he asked.

"Napping." She replied, then seeing the light in his eyes, added, "And I don't have to pick up Monica until five."

"Well, in that case…" he said as he pulled her into his arms.


	40. Chapter 40: Truce

Okay, okay, I know I've let you down. But I promise to finish this and not let you wait forever for it. Please, if you're out there, let me know. Review! Review! Review!

Chapter 40: Truce

Kate was getting stronger each day, but she hadn't yet gotten back to her weight from before the kidnapping. As long as she remembered to eat regularly – three regular meals and three healthy snacks - and get enough rest, she was pretty good. But with the stress of getting Monica adjusted and trying to register for college, her health was often put aside.

Kate ran around like a wild woman to get everything done for the holidays. During the kidnapping, she had believed that she would never see her family again and never share Christmas with them. But since she was here, she was determined that it would be the perfect holiday.

Emily was just old enough to be entranced by the lights and bright colors. So Kate took her to see Santa Claus and had her picture taken with him. Not just one Santa. Kate took her to every Santa in every mall or store in the area and got pictures with each one. House was confused.

"Are we looking for the one that will really bring her toys so that we don't have to?"

But Kate ignored him and went on. She made long lists of everything she wanted to buy for their friends and for him and the girls. It was just as important that Monica have a wonderful Christmas. Kate spent long hours shopping for the perfect gifts. Then, when she came home, she decorated the house. The next day, she would take down whatever she'd done and do it over, differently. House would leave home in the morning and return to a totally changed room.

She attempted to bake cookies. Some of them were passable, but most were inedible. This would frustrate her and she would try all over again.

In between all of this, she had to meet with the university advisors to get her paperwork and roster in order so that she could begin classes in January.

It was a Sunday, a few days before Christmas. After searching every Christmas tree lot in Princeton and the surrounding towns, she felt she found the perfect tree. It was a lovely, seven-foot blue spruce. She paid extra for them to deliver it and set it up in the house. Then she got out the ornaments and her ladder and began decorating it.

She was so engrossed in her task, she forgot all about breakfast, lunch or her snacks. She had also been up late the night before, trying to perfect the last batch of cookies. One too many trips up the ladder with no fuel in her already weakened system spelt disaster. As she was climbing down the ladder, a wave of dizziness hit her. She couldn't keep her balance and she fell.

House had taken Emily with him to Wilson's apartment to watch football. He didn't mind celebrating Christmas with his family, but the whole tree trimming, gift buying, house decorating was too much for him. He volunteered to get Emily out of Kate's way while she did her thing.

Monica had gone to the library. She had joined the teen advisory board and they were having their monthly meeting. She had wanted to stay and help with the tree, but Kate knew how important it was for the girl to associate with kids her age. She promised there would plenty for her to do when she came home.

When the game was over, House packed up Emily and headed home. When he came in, he saw the big tree in the corner. There was a ladder in front of it, but he didn't see Kate. It wasn't finished, so he didn't think she'd leave it half done. He got closer and saw her on the floor. He was down on his knees in seconds, calling out her name and taking her pulse.

He heard a gasp behind him and saw Monica walking into the room.

Her voice was angry when she said, "What have you done to her?"

House only spared her a momentary glance, before saying, "Call 911!"

"What did you do to Kate???" she screamed.

"Nothing! Monica, I don't have time for this. Call 911. NOW!"

Monica raced to the phone and did as he asked, but seconds later she was back in the room. She pulled on his arm and said, "You hurt her! I knew you would! Leave her alone!"

House realized quickly that he wasn't going to accomplish anything unless the girl calmed down.

"Monica, I just got home. See, I still have my coat on. Emily is still in the stroller. I walked in and found her on the floor. Do you understand?"

There were tears in her eyes, but she looked around, then nodded.

"Okay, good. Now, take Emily to her room and get her settled. Then find Joanne's phone number and call her to come and stay with you girls. I need to go to the hospital with Kate. Got it?"

She nodded and took Emily out of the room. A few minutes later, he heard her on the telephone. She came back to him then.

"I called Joanne. She'll be right here."

"Good." House said as he continued to try to revive Kate.

"But I'm not staying here."

"What?" He had no time for teenage histrionics.

"I'm going to the hospital with you."

"No, you're not."

"Yes, I am. I can't stay here and wonder what's happening to her. I have to be there."

"Monica…" he began.

"They took my mom to the hospital and I never saw her again." There were tears in her eyes. "Please don't make me stay here to wait."

When he saw her face, filled with sadness, but also with determination, he relented.

"Okay, you can come. But I don't know how long it will take."

"That doesn't matter."

There was a knock on the door and Monica ran to let the EMS in. They brought a gurney and loaded Kate on it. House identified himself and instructed them to take her to Princeton Plainsboro.

"Are you riding with us, Dr. House?"

"I can't. I have to wait for someone to come to watch my daughter. But I'll be there shortly."

They took her out and House watched as they loaded her into the ambulance, closed the doors and pulled away. Seconds later, Joanne pulled up.

House explained briefly what he knew and told her he was taking Monica with him. Joanne assured him she would take good care of the baby and House and Monica got into his car and headed for the hospital.

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Figuring she would be more comfortable there, House led Monica to his office to wait. Then he went to the ER as fast as his bum leg would allow him. The ambulance drivers had told the doctors and nurses there that the woman they were bringing in was House's wife. Everyone rushed to take care of her quickly. No one wanted to hear the grumpy doctor if his wife was left waiting.

By the time House got there, the doctor had revived Kate. He told House, "She was malnourished and dehydrated. We've set her up on an IV, she should be okay, but she's weak. She should stay here a few days to get her strength up and she has to follow a strict nutrition plan."

House nodded, then asked for her chart. The doctor handed it to him, then left. House glanced at what was written, assuring himself that everything looked okay. They had taken blood and tested it. She was also anemic, but that could be controlled with medication. He let out a breath, then went to see her.

"Hi," he said.

"Hi. What happened? How did I end up here?"

"You decided to take a nap under the Christmas tree. Guess that pine scent just put you out."

"Greg…"

"Okay, okay." He said, then told her about her condition. Finally, he asked, "When was the last time you ate?"

She averted her eyes. "This morning, I guess."

"Kate, look at me."

She looked up to see intense blue eyes staring at her.

"Now, tell me, when was the last time you ate?"

She sighed. "I don't remember."

"Are you suicidal or just plain stupid? If it's the first, you already had a funeral and I'm not going to another one. If it's the second, well, how could you be so stupid?"

Tears started to well up in her eyes and House started to feel like a heel.

"I don't know." She said. "I just got so caught up in the holidays and everything else, I wasn't thinking."

"Well, unless you want to stop thinking permanently, you're going to change some habits." He tried to be a little calmer with her. "Do you want to see Monica?"

"Monica's here?"

"Yeah. They're gonna move you to a room. I'm making sure it's on my floor. I'll bring Monica in as soon as you're settled."

House spoke briefly to the ER staff, then returned to his office. Monica was sitting in his desk chair, playing with his oversized tennis ball when he entered.

"Hey, kid, my stuff. No touching."

She jumped up when she heard his voice. "How's Kate?"

"She'll be okay."

"Can I see her?"

"In a bit. They're moving her to a room."

"She has to stay here?"

"For a few days. She wasn't eating enough, that's why she passed out. We need to get her strength up here, then she can go home. And then we both have to make sure she eats regularly and the right stuff."

"I can do that."

"We'll both do that."

Monica looked at him. She could see the worry in his face. She remembered how he looked while bending over Kate. He had been scared.

She said softly, "I'm sorry for thinking you hurt her."

"It's okay." He watched the kid trying to come to terms with a multitude of emotions. He didn't envy her. He usually preferred to ignore emotions, instead of dealing with them.

"You really love her, don't you?" she asked.

"Yeah, I really do."

"Me too."

"I know."

Together, they headed down the hall to Kate's room.


	41. Chapter 41: A Tentative Trust

**A/N: Thanks, loyal readers, for your patience and for your wonderful reviews. If I haven't replied to you personally, it's just that time doesn't always allow it. But I do appreciate it. I'm going to try to be more prompt with updates. Thanks again!**

Chapter 41: A Tentative Trust

After visiting with Kate, House and Monica headed home. Monica wanted to stay, but House convinced her that it wasn't necessary. Kate would be fine and they had things to do at home before Kate was released from the hospital.

Driving home, House glanced at the girl who was sitting very quietly beside him in the car.

"Are you hungry?" he asked her.

She looked up at him with a strange expression.

"Hungry?" she replied.

"Yeah, hungry. You know, food, eat. I'm sure you've heard of it."

Monica bit her lip. She was beginning to believe she could trust him, but sometimes he was hard to understand.

"It's okay," she said, "I don't need to…you don't need to…uhhh…"

House sighed. This wasn't going to come easy. But what did that was worth a damn? "Look, I'm starving and I'm stopping for a cheesesteak sandwich. Do you want one?"

"Cheesesteak? What's that?"

"You've got to be kidding me! You don't know what a Philly cheesesteak is? How long have you lived here?"

"About three years. We moved from Connecticut. And this isn't Philly."

"Close enough. I'd rather have one from South Philly, Pat's or Geno's. But there's a shop not too far from here that's pretty good. Guy used to live in South Philly, so he knows his stuff."

"But what is it? Is it like a sirloin steak? I don't…"

"Not a steak like that! " House couldn't believe the kid had never had one of the best sandwiches on the planet. He let out a breath and started to explain. "It's thin slices of beef on a long Italian roll with lots of melted cheese and fried onions. You can add ketchup too if you want, that's not required, but it is allowed, not to mention delicious."

"I don't know." She said dubiously.

"Look, I can't explain it. You have to taste it. Do you like onions and cheese?"

"Yes."

"Good, then we'll both get the works. You'll understand when you taste it."

He stopped the car in front of a small sandwich shop called Rocco's. When he entered, the dark-haired man behind the counter smiled at him and called out, "Hey, doc! How's it hanging?"

"Just the way it should, Rocco."

"What do you need?"

House inclined his head toward Monica. "My young friend here has never had a Philly steak."

"No! What planet did you come from little lady?"

"I…" she began, but was immediately cut off.

"Don't worry, we'll set you up good. You're about to taste the best sandwich you've ever had. You want the works?"

"Yeah, Rocco," House said. "Two with everything."

"Got it."

Monica stood by the counter and watched the man put meat on a grill. He proceeded to use a metal tool to alternately cut it up and turn it over and around. He also put onions on the grill and did the same with them. Then he scooped up the mixture and put it into two long rolls, adding a large scoop of melted cheese. He brought the sandwiches to the counter and, taking a large knife out, cut each of them across the middle. He then wrapped them up in white paper and put them in a brown paper bag.

"I wish I could see your face when you eat it, but I'll know when you come back for another one." Rocco said to Monica.

House paid for the sandwiches and they returned to the car. In a few minutes, they were home.

Joanne had fed Emily and put her to bed and was dozing in front of the TV when they came in. House had called her to tell of Kate's condition, so now she just smiled at them and asked, "How is Katie doing?"

"She'll be okay. Probably needs to stay in the hospital a few days to get fed and get her strength back. The ER doctor treated her today. I'll get one of my team to check her out tomorrow and figure out what the best course is for her. She'll also need to work with a nutritionist to get a good diet planned."

Joanne shook her head. "That girl is just so hard-headed. I told her to slow down, that she didn't need to do everything all at once, but she was just so determined. Maybe now she'll listen."

"Oh, she's going to listen. If I have to tie her up to get her to stop and force feed her, she's going to eat right and stop this crazy running around." House said emphatically.

Joanne smiled again. She had no doubts that Gregory would do whatever needed to be done to make sure his wife was healthy. He might be insecure in many areas, but when it came to medicine, he knew the score. She hugged him and Monica and went home.

They took their sandwiches to the kitchen. House went to the fridge and pulled out a beer for himself. He looked at Monica with a questioning look. "Coke okay?"

"Sure."

He handed her the can and sat down beside her. They unwrapped the sandwiches. House was about to bite into his, but hesitated to watch her. She picked it up gingerly and took a small bite at the end. She really only got bread.

"You need to take a larger bite than that. You can't really taste it when all you've got is bread." He complained.

Taking a deep breath, she took a larger bite and chewed it slowly. Then her eyes got huge. She swallowed the food and said, "This is great!"

"Told you. You can trust me when it comes to food." He smiled and took a large bite of his own cheesesteak. They ate in silence for a while, enjoying the greasy, but delicious meat and cheese.

When she had finished half of the sandwich. She wiped her mouth with a napkin, took a drink of her soda and looked at him. He was still happily munching on his food.

"I'm sorry that I thought you would hurt Kate."

He looked up. 'Understandable. Growing up with that bastard in your house would cloud anyone's judgment. And trust isn't easy for some people. I know about that."

"Still, Kate told me you wouldn't hurt her, but I didn't believe her."

"Hey, she's got a gun! I'm not stupid. If I even tried anything, she'd shoot me in the …uh, head before I could blink."

Monica laughed. "I don't think that's the only reason you wouldn't hurt her. I don't know too much about this, but I'm thinking that not everyone shows love by hurting people."

"Most people don't. What your father did wasn't love. It's not love when you hurt someone. He was into power. It was all about him. He had to be in charge, the top dog. If your mother showed any independence, if she made more money than him, the only way he knew how to get back on top was to hurt her. You too, I'm guessing."

Monica nodded, her head down. "Whenever I got good grades or any award at school, he never acted like he was proud of me. He just tried to humiliate me. He wouldn't let my mom praise me either." She looked at him, her eyes shiny with unshed tears. "What does it feel like to have parents be proud of you?"

"Damned if I know, kid. Didn't get much of that myself. You know, neither Kate or I had great childhoods. You really picked two winners to live with."

"I think you're both pretty cool. Maybe, if you had a hard time too, you and Kate can help me a little better than someone who didn't."

"Guess we're gonna find out, huh?" he asked, then looking at the untouched half of her sandwich, added, "You eating the rest of that?"

"Are you kidding? I'm full. It's really good, but it's so big! I can't eat another bite."

"Fine with me." He said, as her reached for the food.


	42. Chapter 42: Expectations

**A/N: I know you probably think I've forgotten this story, but I haven't. It's actually almost finished and I've written the last few chapters, so you should get pretty regular updates until it's done.**

**I really appreciate all of those who are reading and reviewing this story and those who have added it to their favorites. It's really encouraging. I hope I don't disappoint you. Thanks!**

Chapter 42: Expectations

Chase examined Kate the next morning and agreed that she should stay in the hospital for a few days to be sure she was strong enough. Kate complained loudly about that.

"Christmas is in two days! There's still so much to do."

"It's not getting done by you." House told her. "In or out of the hospital."

"Please, Greg," she pleaded. "I didn't think I'd ever spend Christmas with you and Emily ever again. I really need to be home."

House understood. He had thought there would never be any more merry Christmases when he thought her dead. Now she was here and he wanted her home as well. He took Chase out to the hall and spoke quietly to him. Kate watched the two doctors anxiously. Chase was shaking his head while House kept talking. Finally, she saw Chase nod and House headed back into her room.

"Okay, I can take you home tomorrow afternoon. But you can't do anything except eat and rest. You're allowed to rub your husband's feet, but that's all!"

Kate smiled. "I promise. I just want to be home. I want to see Emily's face on Christmas morning."

House did too. "I promise you will."

"But Greg, there's still so much I have to do! The tree's not done, there are gifts to wrap, things I still need to buy…"

"We'll finish the tree. Tell me what you need to buy and I'll go shopping."

She looked at him in disbelief. "You're going to go shopping?"

"Yeah, I can shop. Hope everyone likes Hustler."

Briefly she told him that she had purchased some educational toys for Emily, but she needed to get something fun. And she had bought several outfits for Monica, as well as some CD's and movies. She also told him what she had bought for their friends. He listened to her list, then nodded. After giving her a kiss, he left her room and returned to his office. Their nanny had gone home for Christmas, so Emily was at day care and Monica was home alone. House dialed Cuddy's office. He briefly explained what had happened with Kate and asked if he could leave early to be with the kids and get everything ready for Kate. Since he didn't have a patient at the moment, she agreed to let him out of clinic duty so that he could take care of his family.

He picked up the baby and they headed home. Monica was waiting for him. She had been working on finishing the tree and it looked pretty good. He didn't think Kate would complain, especially since Monica had done it. He realized that he hadn't done any Christmas shopping of his own. He knew he had to do it today, since Kate would be home tomorrow. So he packed up Emily and Monica and they headed for the mall.

Monica pushed Emily in her stroller and they browsed in KB toys, while House did some shopping. He went into A.C. Moore and purchased a large set of colored pencils, some graphite pencils, two sketch books and a book on drawing manga for Monica. He also purchased one of those fancy gift bags and tissue and charmed the sales clerk into putting the whole thing together for him. Then, he went to meet the girls at the toy store.

Monica was watching as Emily banged on a toy piano. The child was laughing with glee. House nodded. That was good enough for him. He purchased the toy piano as well as a toy guitar and drum set. May as well give the kid options. He paid and arranged to pick them up when they were done shopping, so that they wouldn't have to drag them through the mall.

As they were leaving the toy store, he told Monica, "I still have to get something for Kate."

"Oh, what are you going to get her?"

"I don't suppose an ironing board or a crock pot would be good?"

Monica just stared at him.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Come on, I know where I need to go." He dragged both girls into a jewelry store.

Monica looked around at the beautiful jewelry, then said, "I don't know about this. The only jewelry that Kate wears is stuff that means something to her. Her watch because she needs to tell time and her wedding ring because …it's her wedding ring. She doesn't even have pierced ears."

"I know. Which is why I have to get her something that will mean something to her." He looked at the items displayed in the cases while the salesclerk eyed him suspiciously. With his scruffy beard and wrinkled shirt, the man behind the counter doubted this guy dragging a baby and a teenager with him could afford anything in this store.

"Perhaps you would find something more to your liking at the department store, sir." The clerk said haughtily.

House looked briefly at the man and then dismissed him. "No, I think I'll find something to my liking right here. You can go polish your stones. I'll let you know when I need you."

The man gave him a look, and moved a little away, but not too far, keeping his eye on House.

The glass cases were filled with diamonds, emeralds, sapphires n various settings of necklaces, bracelets, earrings. He knew that he had to find something that would be special for her. What did she value most? He looked around the store and his eyes rested on the two girls. He smiled slightly and called the clerk over. He briefly explained what he wanted and the man led him to a case filled with lockets on chains.

House examined the items displayed there. Some were too tiny, others too large or ostentatious. Finally, he saw the perfect one. It was a silver heart, about two inches in diameter and it had a small starburst sapphire in the center. He asked the clerk to bring it out. When he opened it, he saw that it had space for three pictures and the back was smooth, perfect for engraving.

Within minutes House had paid for the locket and arranged for the engraving. He would pick it up the next day before he brought Kate home.

Their shopping done, they returned to the toy store and House paid a stockperson to carry the toys for Emily to his car. Once they were loaded, they headed home.

They brought the gifts into the house, leaving the toy boxes in the garage. House didn't want to think about having to put them together the night before Christmas. He'd have to find a way to get Wilson to do it for him.

He and Monica fed Emily and put her in her crib for a nap. Then they put everything away and looked around the house.

"What else does Kate want us to do?" he asked the girl.

"Well, the tree's done. I can bake some cookies for her later. She was wrapping gifts in her room."

"Right." He said. "She told me to get the gifts for my staff together to bring to the hospital tomorrow. I don't know why I have gifts for my staff. I never gave them anything before. I don't even know what I'm giving them."

"It's important to Kate that everyone get gifts this year."

"Right." House realized that was why he was doing it. He didn't care about gifts, but he cared about the woman who wanted the perfect Christmas. He looked around the room, trying to see what else needed to be done to make sure that it was. He went to their bedroom and removed the gifts that she had already wrapped and labeled for his staff. Wilson, Cuddy and Joanne would be coming to their house on Christmas, so they would get their gifts then. He took the staff gifts and packed them up in a bag to bring to the hospital. He saw Emily's gifts unwrapped in a pile. He called Monica in and supervised while she wrapped them. He knew there were also some gifts for her, but he would deal with them later.

Monica suggested they get the house cleaned up as well. He agreed and while he had a beer, Monica dusted and vacuumed the living room and rec room. He made a sandwich and ate it at the kitchen table while Monica did the dishes and wiped the counters.

"Looks good." He said. "Time to get Emily up."

Then he remembered the locket. He told Monica to get the baby up and put her in a colorful dress. He got out their digital camera and made sure the batteries were working. Then he limped into the living room and adjusted the lights. When Monica came in with Emily, he told her to stand in front of the Christmas tree.

"Are you going to take us together?"

"Yeah, one of each of you, for both sides of the locket and then one together for the center. It has three sections."

"Then you need to be in one of them."

"No one wants a picture of me."

"Kate will."

He looked down for a bit, then said, "Okay, I guess."

He posed the girls individually in front of the tree and took several shots so that they could choose one they liked. Then Monica took the camera from him to take his picture. He started to move towards the tree, but she stopped him.

"No, sit at the piano. That'll be better."

He sat and she took several pictures of him.

"We can download them and choose the bests shots, then photoshop them so that they'll fit in the locket." Monica told him.

"Later. We need to go visit Kate in the hospital. She's probably bored."

Once again, House packed up the two girls and they headed to the hospital.

After a visit with Kate and reassuring her that everything was under control and that she would be able to go home the next day, House took the girls to McDonald's for dinner, then home.

Monica worked on the computer, getting the pictures just right for Kate's locket. House had traced it and given her the measurements so that she could get he pictures done before he went to the jewelry store to pick it up. That way, he could put them in and have the store wrap it for him.

Finally, the girls were in bed and House settled with a glass of scotch at the piano. He knew he had to make this Christmas special for Kate. He would do whatever it took.


	43. Chapter 43: Christmas House

**Not many comments (only one) on the last chapter. Okay, I admit it wasn't great, but I had to bridge to this one which is kind of fun. Please let me know you're still out there, readers!**

Chapter 43: Christmas House

Christmas Day was bright and cold, a typical New Jersey December morning.

Kate was excited and wanted to jump right out of bed to get Emily, but House stopped her. Ever since he had brought her home from the hospital the day before, he had ordered her, bribed her, bullied her -- anything to get her to do what he wanted.

"You're staying right here until I get the heat turned up and coffee going. Don't move, understand?"

"But…"

"Or I can arrange for you to spend Christmas Day in the hospital."

"Yes, dear." She said, subdued by his threat.

Within a half hour, Kate was resting on the sofa with a cup of coffee and a bagel in front of her. House was sitting on the end of the sofa with Kate's feet in his lap. Monica was sitting on the floor in front of the tree with Emily on her lap. She started helping the baby open her gifts and enjoyed her excited laughs.

They took turns opening gifts. Monica was thrilled with all of her gifts and especially touched when House gave her the gift bag with the art supplies. Monica had made them each a key ring with an original picture she'd drawn in it. Although she got an allowance, she wanted to give them something that came from her.

Emily started banging on the toy piano as soon as she was presented with it. Inviting Wilson over the night before to spend Christmas Eve with them had paid off, as he put all the toys together for her.

When Kate saw the jeweler's box, she was a little wary, since she didn't much care for jewelry. Then she saw the simple and elegant locket. She opened it up and there were the pictures of the three people she loved most in the world. She had Monica help her put it on and she promised solemnly never to take it off.

Kate's present to House was a remote control airplane with a little video camera inside it. As she had predicted, he loved the toy and the mischievous look on his face told her that he was already planning to torture the staff at PPTH with it.

Just as they finished with the gifts and disposed of the wrappings, there was a knock on the door. It was Wilson and he was carrying a huge gift basket filled with all sorts of goodies. He put it down on the coffee table and House started eying it for what he could extract from it.

Kate thanked him for the gift, but he looked away from her and said, "I have another present, it's sort of for the family, but you don't have to accept it if you don't want it."

"Why wouldn't we want to accept a gift from you, James?" Kate asked him.

"Well, because, it's, well, let me just bring it in and you'll see."

He hastily left the house and returned a few moments later, but this time, he was not alone. In his hand was a red leash and attached to the leash was a black dog.

"Oh!" Kate and Monica exclaimed together,

"Doggy! Doggy! Doggy!" Emily cried.

"NO!" House said. "No way in the world."

Wilson ignored him and spoke to Kate. "I know a dog is a responsibility. She belonged to a patient of mine. He's now going into a care facility and he, he won't be coming out. He was worried about the dog, so I said I'd try to find her a home. But if you don't want her, I understand."

"She's beautiful." Kate said. "What kind is she?"

"I don't care what kind. IT'S A DOG!" House said, although no one was listening to him.

"Doggy! Doggy! Doggy!" Emily cried again.

"She's a black lab mix and she's only a little over a year old, so she's still young enough. Her name is Maxi."

"Maxi." Monica crooned, sitting down on the floor to pet the dog. Maxi eagerly licked the girl's face.

"Doggy! Doggy! Doggy!" Emily cried again.

"STOP SAYING THAT!" House yelled. "NO DOGS. Do you hear me? NO. DOGS."

The four females in the room looked at him with sad eyes.

Monica said, "I always wanted a dog, but my dad said they were useless and a waste of time and money."

Kate said, "Hard to have a pet in a foster home."

Emily started to sniffle. "Daddy mad at me?"

Maxi sat down on her rear and looked up at the man with her tongue hanging out.

House looked at them. Emily's tearful question broke his heart. He looked down at the floor, then glared at Wilson.

"You are going to owe me so much and for so long for this, I can't even begin." He said to the younger man.

Wilson smiled. "Relax, House, it's not a sign of the Apocalypse, she's just a dog."

"And a female one, too. You don't think I'm surrounded by enough women in this house as it is? You couldn't bring a male dog? They'll probably all have PMS at the same time."

'Maxi's been fixed." Wilson said.

"And there's around ten years before you need to worry about that with Emily.' Kate told him.

"My point is still valid."

Monica looked up at him. "So, can we keep her?"

House saw the hope and longing on the girl's face.

"Merry Christmas, kid." He said.

Monica jumped up and gave him a hug. "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you! And I promise I'll take care of her. I'll feed her and walk her and everything!"

"Famous last words." He grumbled, as Kate also gave him a hug, along with a kiss on the cheek.

"There's plenty of dog food and treats and a bed for her. It's all in my car. I'll go get it." Wilson hurried out the door again.

"Doggy mine?" Emily asked.

House smiled then. "Yes, sweetheart, doggy yours."

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Christmas night and all was peaceful. There was a fire roaring in the fireplace. House had put on a jazz CD. Monica was lying on the floor drawing in her sketchbook. House and Kate were also on the floor, leaning against the sofa, with the fire crackling in front of them. House's left arm was around Kate and she was nestled into his shoulder. Emily was sound asleep on House's lap. Maxi was also asleep, with her head on Kate's lap.

"A few month's ago, I never thought I'd be spending Christmas like this." House said.

"What did you think you'd be doing?" Kate asked, sleepily.

"Probably getting drunk. But if anyone had told me I'd have my wife…" He kissed the top of her head. "…two kids and a dog, I would have sent them for a psych evaluation."

"Are you happy?"

"Well, I'm glad you're not dead. And the kids are okay. Don't know yet about the mutt. But, it's okay."

"I didn't ask if you were 'okay'. I asked if you were happy."

House was silent, pondering her question. "I don't know," he finally said. "I've never known what that is. How do I know if I am now?"

"Well, are you unhappy?"

He thought again. "I don't think so."

"I guess that's a start. I love you, Greg. Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas. I love you too."


	44. Chapter 44: Discoveries

Chapter 44: Discoveries

A few months later…

Kate was looking for a police sweatshirt that she knew she had, but hadn't seen in a while. She started rooting through their bedroom closet. House had a lot of junk in there. She figured she might as well organize it a little. She pulled out things and put them in piles on the floor.

At the top of the closet was a wooden box, about ten inches in diameter. She didn't remember ever seeing it before. She pulled it out and opened it. It was filled with dirt, or what looked like dirt. Perplexed, she left the bedroom to find her husband.

House was in the rec room, watching a hockey game. Maxi was next to him on the sofa.

"Greg," she said, ""Can I ask you something?"

"YES!" he shouted, as the Flyers made a goal. Maxi jumped up and started wagging her tail.

"Greg."

"No, that's not a penalty!" he yelled at the TV. Maxi looked back and forth from Kate to House.

"Greg!"

"What???"

"What's this?"

"What's what?" he asked, his eyes still on the TV.

"This!" She held up the box.

He glanced at what she was holding, then back at the game.

"Oh, that's your ashes."

"My-my what?"

"Your ashes. I had you cremated and those are your ashes. Come on, go after that puck! This is the NHL, not the Ice Capades."

Kate stared at the box for several seconds, then at her husband.

"Are you saying that you put my ashes in the back of the closet and forgot about them?"

"Well, technically, I put some homeless woman's ashes in the closet."

"But at the time you thought they were mine." 

"Yeah, but you're not dead, so what's the difference?"

"The difference is that you had no respect or feeling for my remains."

"What did you expect me to do with them? Put them on the dining room table so that Emily could have Sunday dinner with mom?"

"Of course not, that would be creepy."

"Exactly."

"But I would think you'd have some feeling or want to do something with them."

"Like what?"

"I don't know, spread them somewhere."

"Where? You're not an outdoors person, the ocean or a field wouldn't work. Maybe I could have used the police firing range. Spread them there."

Kate was silent for a few minutes while House concentrated on the game. Then she looked at him solemnly.

"Didn't they mean anything to you?"

"They were the ashes of a dead body!"

"**MY** dead body!"

House sighed and muted the TV. He knew he wasn't going to be able to enjoy the game until he cleared this up. Maxi collapsed on the floor, her eyes following her master and mistress.

"Kate, when you 'died', so did a part of me. I barely made it through your memorial service. The undertaker handed me that box and all I wanted was to get it out of my sight as fast as I could. I didn't want to deal with the physical reminder of the fact that you were gone. Wilson put it in that closet for me. To tell the truth, I didn't even know where it was. I didn't want to know. I knew he'd tell me if I asked him.

"Your ashes weren't important to me. Your life and the lack of it mattered."

Kate had tears in her eyes when he was finished. She laid the box on the table, went to him and put her arms around him.

"I love you, Greg,"

"I love you too. Now can I watch the hockey game?"

She smiled and restored the sound on the TV. Picking up the box, she started to leave the room. Suddenly, she stopped and turned back to him.

"Greg?"

He gave her a look that said, 'what now, I'm watching the game?'

"What should we do with these ashes?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. Get rid of them."

"How?"

"Throw them out."

"We can't do that!"

"Why the hell not?"

"They're someone's ashes."

"No one we know."

"That doesn't matter."

"Well, what do you think we should do with them?"

"I don't know. Spread them somewhere or something."

"She was homeless. You want to spread them along Nassau Street, be my guest. Or maybe we could leave them at St. Vincent's Shelter? She could be a warning to other homeless people. Don't get caught by a crazed killer."

"Not funny, Greg. Maybe we should bury the ashes."

"Yeah, bury them next to the other people he killed. Right now, they're probably still in graves marked Pearson."

"Oh, God, that's awful! There's a grave with Monica's name on it."

House hadn't thought about that before. It was kind of creepy. He hoped that kid never had to see it.

"We need to get that changed." Kate said, reading his thoughts. "A young girl shouldn't have to look at a headstone with her name on it. And it's next to her mom's grave."

"So get it changed." He didn't care if she had it done, as long as he didn't have to get involved.

"Greg, this is important. Those three people died in place of Monica and me. I have to do something for them." She was quiet for a moment. "Greg, what would you want me to do with your remains?"

"Since you said remains, we're assuming I'm dead?"

"Of course."

"In that case, I don't give a shit."

"Greg…"

"I'll be dead. It's not going to matter to me what you do with them."

"But…"

"Kate, do anything your heart desires with them. Put them in a golden urn and worship them, sprinkle them over the track at a monster truck rally – actually that'd be pretty cool – or hide the box in the back of the closet. I DON'T CARE. Now can I please watch the Flyers get trampled by the Penguins?"

Kate left him alone. She took the box to the garage and put it on a shelf there. It felt weird to leave it in their bedroom closet. She finished the closet, but as she worked, she thought about what they discussed and other things as well.

Later that day, she looked for House. The game was over and he had left the rec room to Monica who was watching an old episode of the X-Files while Emily played on the floor. She found him in the living room at the piano, playing softly. She sat down beside him on the bench,

He glanced at her, sensing she had something she wanted to say. He knew he'd get no peace until they'd talked.

"Greg, I've been thinking."

"That's never good."

"What?"

"Whenever you've been thinking, it's usually going to cost me money or cause me trouble. Or both."

She ignored him and went on. "I think we should adopt Monica." Sensing he was going to interrupt, she quickly added, "Now hear me out. We've set up James as Emily's guardian if we die, but what about Monica?"

"He'd take her too."

"No, he wouldn't be able. The state would reassign her. And there's no way they'd assign her to an unmarried man. But if we adopt her, we can designate whomever we want to take care of her. That way, she'd be protected and the girls would be together. Emily already adores her."

"Okay." He said.

Kate wasn't listening to him. "Plus, she's a part of this family, she should be a House. She hates being a Pearson."

"Okay." He said.

"And we can get her on you health insurance if we adopt her."

"Okay." He said.

"I know how you hate change, but I think this would be so good for her to know that we love her and want her."

"OKAY!" he said loudly.

"What did you say?"

"Did you lose your hearing? I said okay."

"Really? It's okay? It's really okay?"

"Yes, it's really okay." He played a few notes. "I've actually been thinking about it myself."

"You have? Oh, Greg, you are the best."

"Now tell me something I don't know."

She kissed his cheek and put her arm around his waist. "Play me something nice."

He smiled at her. Remembering her guilty pleasure in cheesy old movies, he said. "Did you ever see 'Young at Heart' with Frank Sinatra and Doris Day?"

"I think so. Sinatra was this loser who marries Doris Day and she saves him, right?"

"Right. Jerk loser saved by terrific woman."

He started playing the introduction to a lovely song. Then he softly sang:

My love is ever you, my love.

Now and forever, you, my love.

You came into my lonely world.

What peace of mind your smile unfurled.

Yes and because of you, my love

My wished for dream came true my love

In my uncertain heart, I am only certain of

How much I love you, my love.

"You know," he said, as he finished singing, "There was an earlier version of that movie, starring John Garfield and Priscilla Lane. Same story, except she didn't save him. John Garfield died and she married the handsome young guy."

He looked at her carefully. She smiled at him.

"Yeah, I saw that one too. But I like the Sinatra version better."


	45. Chapter 45: Adoption

**Sorry, it took so long. What was going to be only 3 chapters and an epilogue sort of grew on me. But I'm about finished now, so here you. Reviews are necessary to my life.**

Chapter 45: Adoption

The next day, Kate knocked on Monica's door.

"Come in." she called out.

Kate entered and sat down on her bed. Monica smiled at her.

"Honey, there's something I want to tell you. It's something I've been thinking about for a while and apparently so has Greg. We discussed this last night and I want to tell you about it."

Monica stopped smiling. "Oh. You don't want me anymore, right. It's okay, I understand."

Kate was stunned. "Why would you think that?"

"I don't know. You and Dr. House were thinking about something and talking about something that you have to tell me. It really is okay. It was great being with you these last few months. I'm sure they'll find someplace fine for me."

"Monica, we're not sending you away! We want to adopt you!"

Monica just stared at her, speechless. When she finally found her voice, it was barely audible. "You…want ..to…?"

"Adopt you. Yes. What do you think? Are you ready to become a House?"

Monica's face broke into a big grin. "You're kidding! You want to adopt me? Oh my God! I would love to be a House!"

Kate laughed and hugged her. But then Monica got serious again.

"Are you sure Dr. House wants to adopt me?"

"Yes, I'm sure. He was thinking about it himself before I said it."

"Oh, Kate, this is so wonderful!"

"You know," Kate said. "If we adopt you, you could call me Mom. If you wanted to."

"I think I would like that." Monica smiled, but then she looked at Kate and added, "But what about Dr. House?"

"Well, it's up to you. But if we adopt you, legally we're your parents, so you could call him 'Dad'. Again, if you wanted to."

"How do you think he'd feel about that?"

"I don't know." Kate told her honestly. "Why don't you ask him?"

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

It took a few days before Monica approached House. He was at the piano playing softly. She came into the room, but stopped near the doorway, unsure if she should bother him. She was just starting to turn away, when she heard him speak.

"If you need something, Monica, don't hover at the door. Just ask."

She walked into the room. "How did you know it was me?"

"If Kate wanted me, she would just come in and interrupt. Emily would make noise. And Maxi's over there." He motioned to where the dog lay on the rug near the fireplace, snoozing."

"I did want to talk to you, but it can wait if this is a bad time."

"It's fine. What did you want?"

She hesitated, wondering if she should bring it up. His glance slid to her, annoyance beginning to appear.

"You've already interrupted me. If you have something to say, say it."

"Kate said that you guys want to adopt me."

"And you don't believe her?"

"I didn't…I don't know if that's what you want."

"Why wouldn't I?"

She looked at the floor. "I'm not the best person you could adopt."

"What's wrong with you?"

"For one thing, I killed my father. The therapist says I need a lot more time to deal with that."

"You saved me the trouble of killing the bastard. I may never forgive you for that."

She smiled briefly. "I also threatened to kill you."

"Most of the people I've known have threatened to kill me. And those are the people that like me. The ones that don't like me have actually tried."

"So you really don't mind adopting me?"

"Well, I am a little concerned that you're only after the vast House fortune, but I guess I can chance it." He looked up at her. "Yeah, kid, I don't mind. In fact, I think you will fit into the House family pretty well."

"Thanks." She was smiling now as she started to walk away. "By the way, Kate said I could call her mom."

"Sounds like a good idea."

"What do you want me to call you?"

"What do you want to call me?" He watched her face, searching for her response.

She was silent for several minutes. "My father was never a good dad to me. I never felt like he loved me or even liked me. I wanted to love him, but it was so hard. Most of the time I just hated him."

House was silent, letting her speak. He understood exactly how she felt and knew she needed to express this her way.

"In the few months that I've been living here, you've been a better dad to me than my father ever was."

House was speechless. He couldn't believe that she felt that way about him.

"I'm, um, glad that you feel that way." He told her.

"But what if I disappoint you? I don't even know what I'm capable of. My father never let me find out. What if I turn out to be a real loser or stupid or a failure at everything?"

"So what? You don't have to prove anything to me or Kate or anyone else. The only person you have to please is you. In your life, you're going to encounter a lot of people who are going to want different things from you. And you can bend over backwards to do everything they want and try to please them. And guess what? You never will. Someone's always going to find you lacking. So do what feels right to you and the hell with everyone else. If I'm disappointed in you, that's my problem, not yours, as long as you're doing what's right for you."

Monica walked over to him and hugged him. "I think I'd like to call you dad. If that's okay with you."

"I think that's the only thing I want you to call me."

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Kate and Cuddy had become friends and tried to get together for lunch every few weeks. Soon after she and House had made the decision to adopt Monica, they met for lunch again.

Cuddy looked like she wanted to ask something, but she hesitated.

"What's on your mind, Lisa?"

Cuddy finally looked into her eyes. "I was wondering about this adoption. I mean, I know you care about Monica, and she's a great kid. But you can't love her as much as you love Emily. Can you?"

Kate thought about it for a moment. "You know, I think I do. Not in exactly the same way. But I really do love her just as much. It doesn't matter that I didn't give birth to her. She's my daughter now as much as Emily is."

Cuddy stared at her wineglass and considered Kate's words.

"Lisa, why are you asking this?"

Cuddy sighed. "You probably know that I was trying to have a baby."

Kate looked surprised. "No, I didn't know. When was this?"

"A few years ago. House never told you?"

"Greg knows?"

"He was helping me with it."

"Helping you? Do you mean that he was…"

"Oh, no, not that way! He was giving me my fertility injections. He was the only one who really knew at the time."

Kate relaxed. Even though it was probably before they met, she wasn't comfortable with thinking her husband had been trying to get another woman pregnant. Especially since that woman was now her friend. She knew that they had had a brief fling, but that was a long time ago and that didn't bother her as much as thinking they had been sleeping together recently would have.

"Anyway," Cuddy continued. "It just wasn't happening. There were miscarriages, oh, it was just awful. I've gotten to the point where I realize it's never going to happen. I'm never going to have a baby."

"I'm sorry, Lisa."

"Well, you've been talking about how great Monica is and I was wondering, do you think I should adopt a child?"

"That's something you need to decide for yourself. But it really is great."

"Still, so many married couples are waiting forever for a baby. I'd probably never get one."

"Well, no, not if you want to adopt a white BABY. That's what the majority of the couples want. But if you'd be willing to take an older child or one of a different race, you might find it easier. I've been reading a lot about adoption since we started the procedure with Monica. Foreign adoption would probably be your best bet. There are so many children around the world that need homes. But they wouldn't be newborns and they wouldn't look like you."

Cuddy looked thoughtful. "That's a lot to consider. Can you direct me to some information on foreign adoptions. I'd like to check it out."

"Sure. I'll write down some websites." Kate reached into her pocket for a pen and paper.


	46. Chapter 46: A First REVISED

**I need to thank Dave Barry for the funniest part of this chapter. It's one of my favorites of his writing and I totally took it from him. But it so sounded like something House would say, that I had to use it. Thanks to everyone who has added me as a favorite. I'd love to hear what you think of the story so far.**

**NOTE!!!! I changed the end of this chapter just a bit. Plese re-read.**

Chapter 46: A First

House had worked late on Friday on a case. By the time he came home everyone was asleep. He woke up around ten on Saturday to find the house empty. He had to go back to the hospital when he got up. It was after six by the time he came home.

The house seemed quiet, but he had seen Kate's car, so he assumed everyone was home. Maxi greeted him at the door. He patted her head, looking around for the others. He went through the house and finally saw them in Monica's room. Kate and Monica were sitting on the bed trying on jewelry. Emily was on the floor, playing with her toys.

"Hi." He said. "What's up?"

Kate and Monica had big smiles on their faces. Monica's eyes were shining with excitement.

Kate gave him a knowing look. "Monica has a date!"

House looked at them, caution in his eyes.

"A date with who?"

"His name is Brian." Monica said excitedly.

"She met him at her library group." Kate added. "He's a nice boy, I've met him."

House looked at the floor, then back at his wife. He wanted to say something, but the look on Monica's face stopped him.

"Kate, can I talk to you?"

Kate followed him out of the girl's room and closed the door. He moved into the living room.

"Are you crazy? She's too young to go on a date."

"She's fifteen."

"And how old is lover boy?"

"Brian is sixteen."

"Where are they going?"

"To the movies. They're meeting some other kids there. Greg, what are you…"

"How are they getting there?"

"He has a car. He's driving."

"He's taking her in his car? Are you crazy?"

"Stop asking me that. It'll be fine, Greg."

"Fine? Some pimply-faced kid is going to knock on that door and say 'Hi, I'm here to have sex with your daughter.' You think that's fine?"

"He's not going to say that!"

"Of course he's not going to say it! But that's what he'll be thinking."

"How could you know that's what he'll be thinking?"

"Because I was once a teenage boy and that's what I was thinking."

Kate just shook her head. Just then, Monica bounded into the room.

"Kate, do you like these earrings? I really think they match."

While Kate helped her with the earrings, House looked at the girl. She was wearing slim black jeans that hugged her hips with a baby doll top in a turquoise print. It had a scoop neck and was tight around her breasts, then fell loosely to her waist. It skimmed just above her jeans, revealing about a quarter of an inch of skin.

"What the hell are you wearing?"

At his words, Monica's eyes started to glisten. Kate glared at him. "Monica, I think those earrings are great. Go ahead and start on your makeup. I'll be right there to help you."

Monica quickly left the room. House started shouting at Kate. "She can't go out dressed like that! Or I should say undressed!"

"Greg, we spent hours looking for the perfect outfit. She looks adorable."

"Too much of her looks adorable. Why would you let her go out half-dressed?"

"You usually like low riding jeans on girls."

"NOT on my daughter. Make her get changed."

"No."

"Yes!"

"Greg, I can't talk to you if you're going to yell and be unreasonable." With that, she returned to Monica's room.

"I'm not being unreasonable! I'm the only one here showing any reason at all!" he yelled at her back.

He stormed into the kitchen, Maxi following behind. The dog sat at attention, tail wagging, in case he wanted to give her any of the food that he was looking for, when the doorbell rang.

Kate popped her head out. "Greg, could you get that? And BE NICE!"

Grumbling, House headed for the door. When he opened it, he saw a young man standing there. He was not much taller than Monica and he had glasses. He looked scared to death.

Good, thought House, he should be.

"Hello," the kid stammered. "I'm Brian. You must be Dr. House. I'm taking Monica…"

House pierced him with the full force of those blue eyes. "I know where you're taking Monica. The question is when are you bringing her home?"

"Whenever you say, sir."

"Damn straight. And what do plan on doing?"

"We're going to the movies."

"Not R rated, right?"

"No, sir, no way. PG13."

House titled his head to the side and grimaced. "I don't know. They can get a little racy too. I'm sure there's a Disney movie playing somewhere."

"Well, I…"

"Good, I knew you'd see it my way."

House stared at the boy some more, making the kid more and more edgy. As he swallowed nervously, House leaned in close to him.

"Oh, and by the way. Just so you understand. You might look at this cane and think, I can take that guy, but you'd be wrong. I can take this cane and cause you a boatload of pain. So, consider that before you think about doing anything I wouldn't approve of with Monica. Got it."

Brian swallowed. "Yes, sir."

At that moment, Kate and Monica came out of her bedroom. Monica smiled at Brian and said, shyly. "Hi."

"Hi." He said, his voice cracking.

"So what are you kids going to see?" Kate asked.

Brian quickly said, 'I thought we'd go see the new Disney movie."

Monica looked at him in confusion. "Why?" she asked.

Kate scoffed. "That's for little kids. Go see that Adam Sandler comedy. That'll be more fun."

Brian quickly looked at House, then back to Monica. "I don't know."

Kate immediately realized what was happening. "Brian, please disregard anything that Dr. House said to you. He is severely brain damaged. Go and see whatever movie you guys want."

House gave her a cold stare, then looked back at Brian, a warning still in his look. He continued staring as the teenagers left. House then moved to the window and peered out.

"What are you doing?" Kate asked him.

"Checking out his car." He said as he retrieved his coat from the rack.

"Where are you going?"

"Duh, I'm following them."

'NO, you are not following them! Have you lost your mind?"

"Actually, I'm the only one here who still has a mind. She comes waltzing in with 'I'm going on a date,' and you smile and do her hair. What father in his right mind lets his fifteen-year-old daughter go out with someone who could be a teenage serial killer and not follow them?"

"The one with a wife who has a gun. You take one step out that door and you will experience lead in your butt."

He gave her a steely look. "You'd have to catch me first."

"Don't push it bud, you know I'm faster than you are."

He considered her words and the determination on her face. "You'd really shoot me? Your adoring husband?"

"You try to screw up that kid's date and we'll see how adoring you are."

House stopped, looked at the door, then back at Kate. Finally, he put his coat back on the rack.

"Okay, the woman with the gun wins the battle. But we'll see who's so smug when something happens to her."

"Nothing is going to happen to her. I've met Brian before. I've met his mother. They're nice people. And she has her cell phone. She can call us if anything's not right. We had a talk about this. She understands, she knows how to look out for danger. She'll be fine."

Still grumbling, House returned to the living room and sat down.

"Now what? We just sit here and wait for her to come home?"

"Well, yes. But there's no law that says it has to be boring. I need to put Emily to bed, but when I'm done, we'll have the entire house to ourselves."

He looked at her, saw the grin on her face and the twinkle in her eye.

"So, are you thinking you'll distract me with sex on the dining room table?"

"Will that distract you?"

"It might."

"Well, then, why don't you go have your dinner while I take care of Emily. Then, well, we'll just see…"

Oh yeah, House thought. Maybe the kid going out for the evening wasn't so bad.

When Kate came out of Emily's bedroom forty-five minutes alter, House was sitting on the sofa with a scotch in his hand.

Kate sat down beside him, reached or his glass and took a sip.

"You really amazed me tonight."

"Just because I'm not overjoyed about Monica dating?"

"No, because three times you called her your daughter."

'No, I didn't."

"Yes, you did."

'Well so what if I did? We're adopting her, right? At least I think those papers we filled out said that."

"Adopting her just makes her legally ours. By referring to her as 'your daughter', you've accepted her inside you. And that's so much more important."

House was silent. "Yeah, I guess I have."

"I know that you don't like to think about being happy, but I think we've got a pretty good deal going on here, don't you?"

"Well, you're still hot, the kids are cool and even the mutt's okay." He scratched Maxi's ears. "Yeah, it'll do. Just don't screw it up. No more of you dying on me, got it?"

"Got it. I plan for us to grow old together. It will be fun seeing you as a grumpy old man."

"What makes you think I'm going to be a grumpy old man?"

"Because you're a grumpy young man. People don't change. Nice old people were nice young people and grumpy ones were always that way."

He thought about that. Maybe he was a little grumpy. Lately, though, he had felt less reason to be. Except for tonight, of course. Which reminded him…

"So what about that distraction you promised me? Before I get too old and need Viagra."

Kate just smiled.


	47. Chapter 46A: A Sexy Feast

**This chapter was not written by me. So far, this story has been PG13. But another writer, glenlivet19 - author of the wonderful story "The Elle Word," requested this scene. Since I don't think I write sexy scenes very well, I asked her if she wanted to write it and she said yes. So here it is, pure, unadulterated smut written by a wonderful writer. If you're not into smut, you can skip the chapter, as it doesn't advance the story. It's just a lot of sexy fun!**

**P.S. glen has given her permission to add this chapter to the story. And if you havent' checked her story out yet, DO IT NOW! (Or at least when you're finished my chapter.)**

Chapter 46A: A Sexy Feast

Kate took another sip of House's scotch. Then she asked: "Are you ready for your distraction?"

House looked at her, wide-eyed: "You're serious? About the dining room table?"

Kate didn't answer. She merely smiled and stood up. Slowly she unhooked the button on her jeans and toyed with the zipper. She turned and sashayed towards the dining room and as she went her jeans slowly slid down her sexy legs. She left them lying puddled on the living room floor as she continued out of the room.

A wide smile spread across House's face as he rose from the sofa and followed Kate into the dining room. He quickly caught up to her just as she approached the table. He grabbed her by the waist and lifted her onto the table. Kneeing her thighs apart, he stood in between her legs, pressing his jean-clad erection against her panty-clad core. He wrapped his left arm around her waist pulling her impossibly closer to him and leaned on the table for support with his right.

Kate tilted her head up and smiled tenderly at him. She could feel his excitement pressed up against her. Her arms snaked around his neck; her fingers ran through his hair. Kate tilted her head up and ran her tongue across his lower lip.

House moaned appreciatively. He gently pressed his lips against hers and kissed her slowly and tenderly. It wasn't long before that kiss became much more passionate and their tongues explored each other's mouths.

The need for air finally overrode their passion and the lips parted for a moment. House pulled back for a moment and looked at his wife. Her face was flush with excitement. She never looked more beautiful to him than at this moment. He cupped her cheek with his large hand and stroked it with his thumb. His lips gently nibbled their way down her cheek, stopping for a moment to suck on her earlobe. As he kissed his way down her neck, his fingers got busy unbuttoning her blouse.

Kate was caught up in the moment, blown away by the delicious feeling of Greg's lips on her sensitive neck. Before she knew it, he was pushing her blouse off of her shoulders and she sat there clothed only in her lacy pink bra and panties.

With a sultry smile, she said: "You have some catching up to do." Kate tugged his t-shirt out of his jeans. Greg helped her pull it over his head. She ran her hands over his naked torso while their lips crashed together once again in passion.

Greg's hands were not idle. He reached behind Kate and quickly unhooked her bra. He slid the straps down off her arms and tossed the unneeded garment across the room. He stood back for a moment, drinking in the sight of her. He cupped each breast with his hands and squeezed gently. Lowering his mouth to one nipple, he caressed the other with his thumb. Kate sighed appreciatively. Her sounds made Greg suck harder and after a minute on the right breast, he switched to the left one, not wanting it to feel left out.

Kate moaned again, her head lolling back. Greg was enticed by her long graceful neck and as he kissed his way up to her neck, at the same time he was gently lowering her upper body to the table.

When Kate was lying down completely, Greg took this opportunity to grab a chair and drag it over. He sat down between her legs and kissed her inner thighs. He rubbed his palm over her panty-clad mound and was pleased to note how saturated her panties were. He nibbled her through her panties and she moaned and pressed against his mouth.

Greg decided it was time for a real snack, so he pulled her panties down and tossed them aside. He nuzzled her soft hair and then started to taste her slowly. His tongue alternated between pressing flatly against her clit and licking her outer lips. He picked up the pace as he felt her excitement grow and he slid his tongue inside of her a few times. He moved back to licking her clit as he slid 2 fingers inside of her. Kate moaned and pressed up against his face, her legs wrapping around his back and trying to pull him closer to her. He kept changing the pace alternating between licking her clit gently to sucking it vigorously.

Kate's head was lolling back and forth, her moans growing increasingly incoherent. Finally she cried out: "Greg, I want you inside me NOW."

Greg needed no further clues. He stood and shoved the chair out of the way. Quickly he unbuckled his jeans and shoved them down. The boxers went along for the ride. Taking his cock in his hand, he stroked her clit with the head for a moment while she squirmed delightfully. Then he parted her folds with his fingers and slowly slid inside of her. A long moan emerged from both of their mouths. Greg slid slowly in and out of her delicious body. Kate wrapped her legs around him, crossing her ankles at his back and pulled him impossibly closer, urging him on.

Greg leaned forward as he stroked, helping to support his weight by leaning on his left arm. He bent down and kissed her belly as he cupped her breast with his right hand. His hand moved down until it was in between their bodies and he played with her clit as he fucked her. Kate's hand was fisted in his hair. They thrust together with the rhythm of longtime lovers.

Greg could tell by the spasm of her walls that Kate was about to climax. He pressed on her clit just a bit harder and said huskily: "Come for me, baby."

She cried out: "Oh, Greg!" There was an explosion in Kate's body. She saw sparks behind her closed eyes. He smiled at the feeling of her contracting walls around his cock and he thrust harder. He made 3 more thrusts before he came, shooting his load deep within his lovely wife. He moaned her name as his body slowly collapsed on top of hers. His face was lying in the valley between her breasts and she gently stroked his hair. His arms were on either side of her body helping to support his weight so as not to crush her.

It took a few minutes for them to stop panting and return to normal breathing. Then Greg propped his head up and looked at Kate. She smiled back at him and stroked his cheek.

"You know, Kate, I think I like it that the kid is dating."

She laughed: "You perv, you just want the house to ourselves so we can screw out of our bedroom for a change."

He smiled a wicked smile and wiggled his eyebrows at her: "Yeah. Laundry room next? On top of the dryer?"

Kate just laughed and hugged him closer. Greg snuggled back down into her lovely valley again.

After a few delicious minutes, his leg started to hurt so he moved to a standing position pulling Kate with him so that she was sitting on the edge of the table, legs dangling. He stood in between her legs and hugged her close. He leaned down and gently brushed his lips on hers.

"I love you Kate."

Kate smiled against his lips: "I love you too, Greg."

They stayed like that, bodies pressed together and gently kissing, until the pain in his leg took precedence and he had to sit down. Greg pulled Kate onto his good leg and she sat on his lap and they resumed kissed tenderly.

When the clock struck 11, their eyes flew open. Monica would be home any minute! They quickly grabbed their clothes and made a mad rush to the bedroom. They were just in time as House closed the bedroom door behind them, they heard Monica's key turn in the lock.


	48. Chapter 47: Passages Part 1

**This one is a little sad - sorry, it had to be done.**

Chapter 47: Passages – Part 1

House was just pulling into his driveway when he saw Wilson's car pulling up to the curb. He didn't remember making any plans with his friend for the evening, so he was slightly confused. He hid it as the younger man approached him.

"Stalking me now, Jimmy? I told you, you can't have my body."

"Yeah, that's why I'm here. Guess I'll just have to live with the bitter disappointment." Wilson smirked. "I was invited for dinner."

House was still confused. "No one told me."

"Ah, I think it was just arranged. Joanne wanted to make dinner for us. She's doing it at your house because there's more room."

House looked at his friend. There was something… "What aren't you telling me?"

"Nothing." Wilson said, not meeting his eyes and heading for the door.

"Right." House muttered, opening the door.

Inside, Kate and Joanne were in the kitchen preparing dinner and laughing. Actually, Joanne was doing most of the preparations, while Kate helped in any way she could.

The men came in and greeted them. House, still suspicious, kissed Kate, while his eyes roamed the room.

Joanne continued to work as she said, "Hello, Gregory, hello, Jimmy."

"What's the reason for you poisoning us tonight?" House asked her.

"Don't be impertinent, Gregory. I know that you love my cooking, so do not think that you are going to upset me with your foolishness." She glanced at him briefly, then back at the food she was working on.

House smiled slightly, but there was something in her eyes…

"Come on, let's get some drinks." He said to Wilson, leading him to the bar in the dining room.

While House poured drinks for the both of them, he asked, "What's going on?"

"What are you talking about?"

"This little dinner party with no warning, from a woman who makes plans before she leaves a room."

"What makes you think I know anything about it?"

"You were invited."

"Joanne and I are friends."

"Which is why you should know that she never does anything spontaneously. You were invited and you're not curious about it. Which means you know what's going on."

Wilson studied his drink for a while. "I can't say."

House stared at him. "Oh, God. How bad is it?"

Wilson just shook his head.

"Oh, God. And if you're her doctor, that means…"

Wilson nodded.

House concentrated on the liquid in his glass, then took a healthy swallow. This would devastate Kate. Joanne was her friend, sister, mother, mentor. Obviously, she didn't know yet because she was laughing in the kitchen with her friend.

House limped in, and came up behind his wife, putting his arms around her and resting his head on her shoulder.

"What's up?" she asked.

"Me," he whispered, "if you play your cards right."

"Greg!" she laughed as she tore the lettuce leaves.

No, he thought, she doesn't know. She's too happy.

Soon they sat down to dinner, the four adults along with Monica and Emily. Everyone talked and laughed and enjoyed each other in the way that only people who know each other well can.

After dinner, Kate and Monica brought the dishes into the kitchen to clean up, leaving House, Wilson and Joanne in the living room with coffee and after dinner drinks.

"Joanne, I hope you plan on telling Kate about your problem. You can't leave her hanging in the wind."

"How do you…" Joanne looked at Wilson. "Did you…"

"He guessed. He's good at that."

"I don't know the details. All I want to know right now is that you're going to tell Kate."

Joanne sighed. "Yes, I'm meeting her for lunch tomorrow. I'll tell her then. I just wanted an evening, one last evening when everything was still wonderful. Once I tell her, it will always be there. We won't have anymore happy, carefree evenings."

With that, she rose and went to the kitchen to join Kate.

House stared at his drink for a minute, then asked Wilson, "What kind is it?"

"Ovarian. Advanced. She has…"

"Yeah, yeah, six months tops. Why are you treating her? You're friends."

"She's a little scared of doctors. She wanted someone she felt comfortable with." Wilson walked to the fireplace and rearranged the pictures sitting there. "Kate's not going to take it well, is she?"

"Oh, she'll probably have a party! What the hell do you think?"

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Kate and Joanne sat in their favorite restaurant, enjoying their lunch.

"Last night was so lovely, Katie. Being with you and your lovely family and Jimmy as well."

"It was nice." Kate smiled at her. "But I have to admit that I was a bit surprised that you wanted to do dinner at the spur of the moment. You're usually not that spontaneous."

"I really needed to see the people I care most about."

Kate just stared, her police senses coming to life. "Why? Why now?"

Joanne put down her coffee cup and sighed. "Katie, dear, there's something I need to tell you."

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Realizing that Kate would probably need him, House left the hospital as early as he could. When he got home, he found the living room dark. He started to walk through to the other part of the house when he heard a sound. He turned on a lamp and saw Kate sitting alone in the dark.

"Hi." He said.

She looked up at him. Her eyes were red. She got up and went to him, wrapping her arms around his neck and sniffling into his jacket.

"Oh, Greg, it's just awful. Joanne is really sick. She's dying!"

"Yeah, baby, I know."

She pulled back suddenly. "You know? How do you know? How long did you know?"

"Last night."

"She told you last night and not me?"

"She didn't tell me. I figured it out."

"And you didn't tell me!"

"She wanted to tell you. And she didn't want you sad last night. She knew that once she told you, it would always be there between you. She wanted one last evening that was perfect."

Kate pressed her lips together and put her head on his shoulder. He put his arms around her and held tight.

"What am I going to do without her? She was my first friend at the police department. Hell, she was my first friend ever!"

FLASHBACK

"_What's the matter, Detective Martin?" The gray-haired woman at the desk asked her._

"_Nothing." Kate spat out, turning her head, then she turned back. "It's just that…god, I hate some of these guys. So, I'm a woman, so what? I'm still a cop!"_

_The woman smiled. "It's terrible that women have to work twice as hard to be thought half as good. _

"_So what do I do, bust my butt everyday in the hopes that they'll think me almost good enough?"_

"_If you're worrying about proving something to them, then, yes, that's what you'll have to do. But if you only care about proving something to yourself, then you'll just do your job and say to hell with them."_

_Kate smiled. "You're absolutely right. Thank you."_

"_You're welcome, Detective."_

"_It's Kate."_

"_Joanne. Nice to meet you."_

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Four months later….

House opened the door and waited while Kate slowly made her way inside the house. He couldn't wait to take off the suit and tie he was forced to wear to the funeral. Why you had to dress up to watch someone get buried, he could never figure out. It wasn't like they could see how you were dressed.

Kate was subdued. She hadn't said much since Joanne's death two days before. Of course, the months before that had been very busy. Kate insisted on spending as much time as possible with her friend. Even though Joanne had hospice care to take care of her physical needs, Kate had put herself in charge of her friend's emotional needs.

Now that she was gone, Kate wasn't quite sure what to do with herself.

House wasn't too good at the comforting stuff, but he sensed that his wife needed something from him.

"Are you okay?" he asked her.

"No."

"Can I get you something?"

"No."

"Are you ever going to say anything except no?"

"No." But she smiled slightly. "Greg, what do I do? She was my best friend. She was more than that. She was the mother that I lost years ago and never thought I needed. I don't know how I would have gotten through the last ten years of my life without her."

FLASHBACK

"_Joanne, I've been seeing someone."_

"_Katie, you didn't tell me!"_

_  
"I wasn't sure how it would, if it would, well, you know. But I think we might have something." _

"Oh, Katie, how wonderful. Tell me about him." 

"_He's a doctor, a little older than me, but _really_ sexy. He's a little rough around the edges, but there's something about him that. I don't know, is kind of sweet."_

"_Well, dear, if you like him, I'm sure he's wonderful."_

"_Yeah, but I'm scared." _

"Of what?"  


"_Of the way I feel when I'm with him. I've dated other guys and I've never felt like this. It's really terrifying."_

"_Then it must be special. The only things that have the power to scare us are the things that really matter."_

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Kate's eyes filled with tears as she remembered telling Joanne about her feelings for House.

"Greg, what am I going to do without her?"

"What she would want you to do. Live your life."

"But…she was more than my friend. She was like my nother."

"Hmm. How long did you know Joanne? "

"About twelve years."

"So you knew her longer than you knew your real mother."

"Well, I never thought about that, but I guess I did."

"Seems like you were pretty lucky. You lost your mother when you were just a kid, but somehow acquired another one right when you needed her."

Kate sighed. "You're right. I was lucky to have her, for however long. But how do I go on without her?"

"One day at a time, baby, one day at a time."

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In time, Kate returned to her normal life, even though she felt like there was a piece of her missing. She didn't know how to fill that piece, but she took care of her family and attended her classes and went on. It was just harder.

And, of course, in time, she was able to remember Joanne with joy and not sadness, thinking of everything the woman had been to her. She could even smile at the memories. Life went on.


	49. Chapter 48: Passages Part 2

**Another sad chapter - sorry! **

Chapter 48: Passages – Part 2

Something about the sound of the telephone's ring made House believe that it wasn't going to be good news. He was right.

"Hello?" he said cautiously.

"Greg." His mother's voice was tearful.

"What's wrong, Mom?"

"Your father. He's had a heart attack. He's in intensive care."

"What do the doctors say?"

"I don't know! I can't understand what they're telling me. Greg, do you think, could you come?"

He took a deep breath. "Sure, Mom. I'll get the next plane. I'll be there as soon as I can."

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There is almost always room in first class. House was able to get a plane ticket and walked into the hospital less than eight hours after his mother's phone call.

As soon as she saw her son, Blythe House ran to him and buried her face in his chest. Assuming the worst, House said, "Mom, is he…"

"No, no, I'm just so glad you're here. I just didn't know what to do! I never understood any medical stuff. His doctor is coming out any minute."

Moments later, a doctor in he early thirties emerged and approached Blythe. She immediately introduced House.

"This is my son, Greg. He's a doctor. Could you please explain the situation to him?"

"Nice to meet you, Dr. House. Your father's condition is very serious."

Blythe stood aside as the doctor went into details about her husband. She watched her son nod, ask questions and offer suggestions. The other doctor answered. Finally, they ended the conversation and the doctor left.

House looked at his mother. He was used to telling patients' families bad news. He usually just said it right out, unconcerned for their feelings. But this was his mother. Besides his wife, this was the only other person in the world that he couldn't hurt. He tried to find an easy way to tell her.

"Mom, it doesn't look good. There's been massive damage to his heart."

"But there are those bypass operations. I have lots of friends who have had them and they're just fine."

House shook his head. "There's too much damage. There is nothing to bypass to."

"What about a transplant? My cousin had a transplant twenty years ago."

"He's too old. No transplant committee will approve a transplant for a man his age."

"What do you mean? He's only seventy-six! Are you saying that his life has no more meaning? That's he's not as valuable a human being as a younger man?"

"There are a limited number of organs available for transplant. They can only go to people who have a good chance for survival. Would you rather see Dad get a heart than some forty-year-old woman with some young children to raise?"

He thought of his own decision to lie about the CEO, Carly Forlano's condition to get her a heart when she really didn't deserve it by the hospital's standards. Who died because they didn't get that heart?

"Yes, I would! I know that's awful, but I don't know that woman and this is my husband."

House smiled to himself. Maybe more of his personality came from his mom than he thought.

"It's not our decision. And it's not going to happen the way you want."

"Are you saying he's going to die?"

House didn't answer, just looked at the floor.

"No!" Blythe cried. "I can't accept that! I won't!"

'The doctor said he's awake. You can go in to see him."

There were tears in her eyes, but she quickly wiped them and headed to the Intensive Care room where her husband lay. When she realized that her son was not following her, she turned and looked at him.

"Greg, aren't you coming?"

House hesitated. Was he ready to face his father as he lay on what was probably his deathbed? He wasn't sure, but the look on his mother's face decided it.

"Sure. Mom."

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The man in the bed barely looked like his father. John House's face still was the same, but he was pale and seemed to have shrunk under the weight of the hospital equipment that was monitoring him.

Blythe immediately went to her husband, took his hand and kissed his cheek.

Not knowing what to do, House went over to the monitors and checked the readouts. This he knew. This he could handle.

Talking to his father was something else altogether.

"John," Blythe said. "Greg is here."

John's eyes moved, searching for his son. House finally approached the bed.

"Hi, Dad."

John looked at House. "Took me almost dying for you to visit your mother."

"John, please…" Blythe began.

"It's okay. Mom."

"No, it's not! The two of you need to work this out …before it's too late."

With those words, Blythe went out the door and down the hallway, leaving House alone with this father.

'"So," John began, "I guess I'm dying."

House looked at him. "What makes you say that?'

"You're here in this room. Your mother wants you to talk to me. She assumes it's our last chance. So, what do you want to say?"

House thought of the many things he wanted to say, the things he'd never been able to say, the things that ate at his gut late at night. But looking at the old and wasted man lying in the bed, the words died. There was nothing he could do to change the past, nothing that would make the present any better. It just was.

"I'll make sure Mom's okay. She can come to live with us if she wants. Kate won't mind."

John had been staring at his son, expecting the worst. When it didn't come, he just nodded. "That's good. She's never lived on her own before."

They were silent.

"Greg."

House tapped his cane on the floor, avoiding his father's eyes. "Yeah Dad?"

"I know you think that I was a bad father. I did the best I knew how. The best I learned from my own father. Now that you have kids, you probably understand how hard it is."

"Yeah, I know how hard it is. But I still never have and will never, ever do to my kids what you did to me."

His father stared at him, getting ready to say more, when a nurse interrupted them.

"I'm sorry, we have to run some tests. You can come back in a few minutes. I'll call you."

House nodded and left the room. In the hallway, he encountered his mother walking towards him.

"Did you make up with your father?'

"We weren't fighting. There was nothing to make up."

"Oh, Greg. You told me there's no hope, that he's dying. Don't you want to clear the air before that happens?"

"What's the point? What good would it do? Neither one of us is ever going to change."

House walked away from her.

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Later that evening, John House suffered another heart attack. The medical team tried, but they were unable to get his heart started again. He was pronounced dead.

Blythe wept quietly. House put his arm around her and tried to comfort her, although he knew it was useless.

He called Kate to tell her what happened.

"Oh, " she said, "Your poor mother, how is she?"

"She's okay. Upset, but she'll be okay."

"And how are you?"

"Fine."

"Just fine?"

"Yep."

Kate knew there was more to it, but late at night over the telephone was not the time to discuss it. Unfortunately, knowing Greg House, never would be a good time for him to discuss it.

Since Kate and the girls would have to come to the funeral, Kate promised to make immediate airline arrangements.

"I'll call James, if you want."

"Why?"

"He's your best friend. I think he'll want to go to your father's funeral. Anyway, he'll never forgive you if you don't tell him."

"Okay, okay, I'll call him. You just worry about getting yourself and the kids here. I miss you.''

Kate smiled. "I miss you too."

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Three days later, House sat between his mother and his wife in front of his father's coffin, listening to his fellow marines talk about John House. The words that they used were: "Strong" "brave" "fair" "decent" "friend". Those words didn't come to mind when he thought of his father. But these men seemed to know him and to like him.

It had been a hectic three days. Kate and the girls had managed to fly in the next afternoon with Wilson. There had been a lot of running around to plan the military funeral. His mother was holding on by a thin string and needed to lean on him quite a bit. He hadn't really had any time to reflect on his father's death. He doubted he'd be able to do it here at the funeral.

He was right. Before long the guns were shot and the flag draping the coffin was presented to his mother and they were leaving the cemetery. Then there was the funeral luncheon, where his mother needed him to stay beside her. He had to endure the words of condolence from his father's friends and colleagues. His mother also took the opportunity to show off her grandchildren to her friends.

Eventually, it was all over and House prepared to take his family home. Kate tried to convince Blythe to come with them, but at present she had lots of friends taking care of her. She promised to come and stay in a few weeks. But she really felt she needed to get used to being alone without her husband.

House, Kate, Wilson, Monica and Emily returned to Princeton.

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Several weeks later…

Kate was worried that House was holding in his feelings about his father's death. They had returned home and he had gone back to work. He made sure to call his mother regularly to check up on her and to encourage her to come and stay with them. But he never talked about his father.

When House came home form work, he went to the kitchen in search of Kate and the kids. They were there, preparing food.

"Dinner is almost ready." Kate said as she kissed him. "Oh, and your mother called."

"She okay?" he asked.

"Yes, she was just clearing out your father's stuff and wanted to know if there was anything you wanted. You need to call and tell her."

He turned and limped into he dining room to pour himself a drink. "No, I don't, because I don't want anything."

She followed him. "Come on, Greg, there must be something of your father's that you want as a memento."

"People need mementos because they want to remember someone. I don't want to remember the son of a bitch."

"Greg. He's dead. Can't you let it go?"

"Why should I? Why should dying absolve someone of everything they've done? He was a jerk. I hated him. Ask me if I'm glad he's dead."

"Greg, I would never ask you that."

"Because you know the answer is yes. Yes, I'm glad he's dead. I'm glad I can see my mother without having to see him. I can call her on the phone without worrying that he'll answer and I'll have to talk to him."

"Oh, honey."

"My life is better now that he's gone. The bullshit, the pretending we all care about each other is gone. It's the most liberated I've ever been."

Kate could tell that he was serious. "You really aren't grieving for him at all?"

"No. You only grieve for people you miss. I don't miss him. I'm happy he's gone."

He returned to the kitchen and with a smile on his face, began talking to Monica and Emily. Kate watched him, amazed. He really meant it.

Later when he was sitting at the piano, she sat down beside him and put her arms around him.

He looked at her. "What's up?"

"I'm sorry that you feel the way you do about your father. I understand why you do and I even think you're right. But it kills me that you have to feel that way."

"It's okay, Kate. I don't need him. I never needed him. But now that I have you and the girls, I understand what family means. He was never it. You always will be."


	50. Chapter 49: Changes

**This is a short chapter that is a transition for the last actual chapter. PLEASE let me know what you're thinking!**

Chapter 49: Changes

As much as House hated change, he had faced lots of it in the previous months: Kate's "death" and return, Monica entering their lives, even a dog. Then there had been the deaths of Joanne and his father. Blythe House sold her home and moved to Princeton to be near her son and grandchildren. She insisted she wanted her own apartment, but Kate and House were prepared to take her into their home when she got older and unable to care for herself.

At work, as well, there were changes. He had a brand new team to torture now. Foreman resigned because he didn't want to be like House. He took a job in Neurology at a hospital in Boston. House fired Chase and Cameron resigned as well. Both of them took other positions at PPTH, Chase in Surgery, Cameron in the ER.

Their relationship continued for a time, but then Cameron decided that they should take a break. During that time, she met a stockbroker from Chicago who was in Princeton for a conference. The man came to the ER with food poisoning and Cameron treated him. During the two weeks, he was in town, they saw each other every night. When he returned to Chicago, they called, e-mailed, IM'd, and texted constantly. She flew to Chicago to be with him and he came to New Jersey for her. After three months of this, she gave Cuddy her resignation.

"Why?" Cuddy asked. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong." She smiled. "Stewart asked me to marry him. I said yes."

"Oh, that's wonderful! Well, I hate to lose you, but I hope you are very happy. And you don't have to ask, I'll write you a letter of recommendation for a new job in Chicago."

"Thanks. Do you think House will?"

"Sure. Just have Kate ask him."

Cuddy threw a big farewell party for Cameron. The entire staff attended, coming and going as their schedules allowed. House abandoned work and found a place to sit near the food, ignoring the people. Cameron was exhausted greeting everyone.

She was just catching her breath, when she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned to see Chase and smiled at him.

"I thought you weren't coming. Have a drink."

"Sorry, I can't stay. I have to be in surgery in five minutes. I just wanted to be sure to see you and say goodbye,"

She hugged him. "Well, I'm glad that you did. It wouldn't have been the same if we hadn't been able to say goodbye."

"Allison, I really wish you all the happiness in the world. You deserve it."

"Thank you. I will miss you."

"Yeah, I know."

"Well, goodbye. And good luck with your patient in surgery."

"Yeah, thanks. Goodbye." He turned and left the room. In the hall, he put on his sunglasses and headed to the parking lot where he got into his car and drove away. Sunglasses hid a lot.

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Cuddy had made the decision and applied for a foreign adoption. She stated on her application that she would accept a child from any country, of any age and either gender. She was told that there was a good chance for her to get one, even though she was single. Foreign adoptions did not necessarily require married couples and since she was a doctor, that was definitely in her favor.

All of the paperwork had been filed. Now she just had to wait. That was harder in some ways than waiting to find out if she was pregnant. But she was happy with her decision to adopt and knew it was the right thing to do.

Within six months, she was approved for a little girl from China. When the time came, she flew to Beijing and met Che Lin, a beautiful five-year-old child. She brought her home and employed a nanny and a private tutor to teach her English. The following year she sent her to a private school in Princeton. The child flourished and Cuddy found that loving a child didn't depend on whether your blood flowed through her veins, only on whether she held your heart.

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House and Kate settled in as a family. Monica's adoption was finalized and they threw a big party to celebrate it. Everyone they knew at the hospital was invited. Chase came, and when Kate saw how lonely he looked, she began inviting him for dinner regularly.

House grumbled about that, but he didn't really mind. Chase became a part of the family. The girls adored him. He treated them like his treasured little sisters and he was the big brother who could do no wrong. He and House would have long medical discussions and he continued to learn from the older doctor.


	51. Chapter 50: Time Flies

**Okay, folks, this is the last actual chapter. There is a 2 part Epilogue that will be posted soon, but the essential story is completed here.**

Chapter 50: Time Flies

THREE YEARS LATER

House tried to make himself comfortable in the hard auditorium seat.

"Will you stop fidgeting?" Kate told him. "You're worse than Emily."

"Mommy, why is Daddy worse than me?"

"Because he can't sit still and he acts younger than a five-year old."

Emily giggled. "That's funny, Mommy. Daddy isn't five. I'm the only one in our family who's five. And in S'tember, I'll be six!"

"And you'll be more mature than Daddy."

"Hey," House said, winking at Emily. "I resemble that remark."

She giggled again. It was one of her favorite 'Daddy' lines. But Daddy was always so funny. She climbed up onto his lap.

"I'll sit with you, Daddy, so you'll sit still."

"That's my girl." He said, hoisting her up and cuddling her. Then he turned back to Kate. "Why did we have to get here so early? When is it starting? And where the hell is Wilson?"

Kate rolled her eyes. "For the umpteenth time, Greg, we had to get here early to get good seats and parking. It will start soon enough. And James said that they were running late, plus he's picking up your mother. She had a hair appointment."

"Mommy, how many is umpteen? Is it more than fourteen?" Emily inquired seriously.

"Yeah, Mommy," House quipped. "Count to umpteen for us."

Kate rolled her eyes again "Greg…"

"Why are they running late?"

"Not sure, but I think it has to do with the wedding next week."

"Explain to me again why a Jewish man wants to marry an Irish Catholic woman?"

"Maybe because he loves her."

"I get to be flower girl!" Emily chimed in.

They both smiled at the child with the wavy auburn hair, remembering how adorable she looked when she tried on her dress for Wilson's wedding.

But soon enough, House was back to grumbling. "How many of these damn things do I have to go to anyway?"

"This is the last graduation. And Emily was so cute at hers, you can't complain about that."

"Why do you need to graduate from kindergarten? I mean, how would you not pass it? Color outside the lines? Eat paste? I think they do that anyway and they still graduated."

"But, Daddy, I was indorable. Everybody said so."

House chuckled. "Yes, you were sweetheart, very indorable."

Kate continued. "And you didn't have to come to mine if you didn't want to."

House thought about how proud he was of his wife getting her B.S, a few weeks earlier.

"Yeah, I had to. And I wanted to."

"So, is it just Monica's that you don't want to be at?"

"I didn't say I didn't want to be here. I'm just bored. I need Wilson so that I can torture him and have some fun."

"Bridget won't let you. She's very protective."

"I know, and it annoys the hell out of me."

"I know, and so does she."

Two years earlier, Wilson had started dating a nurse by the name of Bridget O'Halloran. They had fallen in love very quickly, but both had hesitated to make it permanent. After three marriages, he was gun shy and she was wary of a man thrice divorced.

But finally their feelings for each other had won out and they were getting married.

House had been against the relationship almost from the beginning. Bridget was fiercely protective of Wilson and was not afraid to tell House where to get off. She would not allow House to bully or take advantage of his friend.

"And that's another thing I'm going to have to suffer through – their wedding!"

"Well, you can't not go to that. You are the best man. Besides, it should be …interesting."

"Weird is more like it. Who has a rabbi and a Catholic priest at their wedding? It sounds like a bad joke."

"Couples of mixed religion who want to honor both." Wilson said as he made his way into the row and the seats Kate had saved for them.

"Stop your griping, Greg, No one wants to hear it now. Actually, no one ever does." Bridget observed as she greeted Kate and Emily. She placed a kiss on House's check as well, even though he glowered at her.

Blythe was already taking her seat next to Kate. "This is so wonderful. All of these happy events, one right after the other. And James was so kind to bring me with him and his bride to be."

Suddenly, they heard the high school orchestra start playing 'Pomp and Circumstance' and the about-to-be graduates solemnly marched into the auditorium.

Everyone in the House party craned their necks to look for Monica. They soon saw her, slim and confident marching down the center aisle of the auditorium. She was facing the front, along with her classmates, but her eyes were moving as she scanned for her family. House raised his cane into the air and she smiled.

Most of the ceremony bored House. The principal made a speech, the vice-principal made a speech, the valedictorian and salutatorian made speeches. Hell, he thought, why not get the janitor up here? He probably knows more about these kids than the teachers do.

Finally, the time came to hand out the diplomas. As their names were called, each student walked up to the podium to receive a handshake and a diploma. When they heard the principal announce: "Monica House," they exploded with cheers.

While he waited through the remaining students, House looked at the people that surrounded him. His angel, Emily. Who could have thought he would love a child so much? And who could have thought he'd ever be a good father? But he was. Despite all his worries, he knew that he was a good dad. His gaze went to the stage, where a young woman sat. He was a good dad to her as well. He thought about a month ago when she had received her acceptance to Princeton.

"This is great." He'd told her. "I'm really proud of you."

"I've decided what I'm going to major in, Dad."

"Really? What?"

"Pre-med."

He'd looked at her solemnly. "Don't feel that you have to do that."

"I want to do it. I want to be like you."

Thinking back on that day now, he realized that no one had ever told him that before. As he saw her smiling at them from the stage, he was more proud of her than ever.

His mother sat there, smiling as she watched the new graduates. She was still healthy and although she missed his father, she was doing well.

He looked at Wilson sitting next to his lovely fiancé. As much as House grumbled and complained about Bridget, he realized that she was exactly the woman that his friend needed. She was strong and she was loyal. She wouldn't cheat on him and she wouldn't put up with him neglecting her. He'd have to fight to keep this marriage, but she'd give him the ride of his life while he did. And she'd be beside him all the way.

Finally, his gaze rested on Kate. His wonderful Kate. They'd been married over five years and he loved her more each and every day. But she had changed from the cop with the unhappy childhood and tragic past.

She had not only regained her health, she had learned about nutrition and now could cook simple, but healthy meals for her family. She had even forced him to do the same.

While she would never be a housekeeper, she had learned how to keep clutter to a minimum and get everyone involved in picking up. Between that, and a house cleaner once a week to do the heavy stuff, their home was usually presentable.

She had completed college and now had her B.S. in technology and criminal science. She was applying for positions in corporate security.

She had totally remade herself, yet she was still the smart, funny, sexy woman he'd fallen in love with.

In that hot and crowded auditorium, surrounded by people he, yes, he could admit it, people he cared about, he realized something that had never occurred to him before.

He was happy.

**Warning: The Epilogue will take us 25 years into the future and House is old. If you don't want to see that, don't read the Epilogue. But it does tie up all the loose ends and let you knoowhat happened to all the characters.**


	52. Chapter 51: Epilogue Part 1

**Okay folks, this is the first part of the epilogue. BE WARNED: House is old in this. If you don't want to read about that, just let the last chapter be the end of the story for you. But this will tie everything up nicely.**

EPILOGUE – Part 1

25 YEARS LATER

House squirmed as Kate tried to tie his bow tie.

"Stay still." She commanded.

"Why do I have to wear this stupid thing? If it's my retirement party, I should be able to wear anything I want."

"Because you'd wear ratty jeans and a t-shirt."

"What's wrong with that?"

Kate just shook her head. He would never really change. Not the essential man that she had loved for the past thirty odd years. Some things were different. For instance, the reason she was fixing his tie. She said it was because he never did it right. But actually it was because arthritis in his hands made it hard for him to handle that. He could still play the piano, though not for long periods, but the guitar was getting harder and harder.

Of course, being House, he would never admit that. So Kate said she was doing it to make it nicer. And they both knew the real reason.

Considering that House was eighty years old, a little arthritis in the hands wasn't too bad. His leg hadn't improved of course. But new treatments and non-narcotic pain medication had helped. But now both of his knees also had some arthritis as well. He actually could have used a wheelchair, but stubbornly continued to use his cane. Of course, it took much longer for him to get around.

His hair, what was left of it, was gray. He was still slim, with more lines around his eyes and mouth. His eyes, however, were still a bright, brilliant blue.

But the most important thing to both of them was that his intelligence and wit were just as sharp as they had always been. And to Kate he was still as sexy as the first day she had seen him in the hospital corridor.

"I don't even want to go." House complained.

"You want to go to the party. You just don't want to retire."

"Well, why should I? I can still do my job."

Kate sighed. They had been having this same discussion for the past four months, ever since the decision had been made. She knew that he really was ready to stop working, but was too stubborn to admit it. That would be admitting weakness and he couldn't do that.

"All of your cronies are going to be gone. James is retiring in a few months. Cuddy's been gone for years. Who will you have to bother all day?"

"There's still my staff."

"That's another thing. Your replacement won't like it if you don't retire."

House just looked at her. "Cuddy should never have quit."

"She's never been happier and you know it."

When Cuddy's adopted daughter, Che Lin graduated from college and became a marine biologist, she accepted a job in Florida. Cuddy had spent two years missing her terribly before deciding to resign her position at PPTH. She had moved to Florida and had opened a clinic for women. Even though she was semi-retired, she still kept her hand in it. She loved it.

"Yeah, and look who replaced her."

Kate chuckled. She'd been hearing this for the last eight years. "Robert is a wonderful Dean of Medicine. The hospital has never run smoother."

When Cuddy resigned, she had recommended Chase to the board as her replacement. The decision was unanimous and no one regretted it. He was as good an administrator as he was a doctor. Of course, House still treated him as if he was his employee.

"And," she added, "He's gone to a great deal of trouble to plan this party."

"Of course he has! He can't wait to see me go. I know how incompetent he is."

Kate ignored his remarks, her thoughts elsewhere. "Oh, and by the way, he's not bringing a date tonight."

"Did you hear that at lunch or in study hall?"

Chase had never married, but at every party or fundraiser, he always had a beautiful woman on his arm.

"Come on, Greg, you know he always brings a date. But he's not bringing one tonight."

"So?"

"Well, you know who else is coming."

"A lot of people are coming. But don't expect me to talk to all of them. Most of them are idiots."

"Greg, _Allison_ is coming."

After Cameron's whirlwind courtship and marriage to the stockbroker from Chicago, she found herself divorced with two kids a few years later. She stayed in the Midwest and decided to go into private practice in a small town, thinking it would be a better life for her children. She hadn't been back to New Jersey in over twenty years.

Chase had never forgotten her. And no other woman had ever measured up.

House rolled his eyes. "Is this a retirement party or a high school dance?" But he smiled. He'd never admit this either, but Robert Chase was as close as House had to a son. He was very proud of what the man had accomplished. He'd just like to see him find a woman to love like House had. But he knew that the only woman Chase had ever loved was Dr. Allison Cameron.

Kate just smiled and checked her hair in the mirror. At sixty-eight, she was still a lovely woman. Her hair was a salt and pepper mix of gray and white. She was still slim and kept herself active. House loved her as much today as on the day he married her.

"Are we going by ourselves or do we have hangers on?" He asked her.

"No one else. Emily and Ryan were in the city today and are driving down together. And Monica said she might be held up at work. Something about her new position?"

House just grunted at that. He picked up his jacket and put it on, then turned to Kate. "Guess we'd better go then. Sooner we get there, sooner we can leave."

"Honestly, Greg! Am I driving?"

"Doesn't matter now, but you'll definitely be driving home. I plan to be very drunk."

00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

The ballroom of the hotel was huge and filled with tables. The wait staff passed around trays of hors d'oeuvres and poured glasses of wine and champagne. The open bar was crowded with people trying to get drinks. In the corner, a five piece band played some jazz music. No expense had been spared to provide Dr. Gregory House a wonderful farewell.

When Chase saw the guest of honor enter, he called over one of the waiters.

"That man is Dr. House. You are to make sure he always has a drink or food or anything he wants. I don't want to ever see him fighting the crowds at the bar. He won't be able to stand for long, so when he's ready, get a chair for him, wherever he is. Is that understood?"

The waiter nodded. He had been hired this evening to serve the guest of honor and his wife only. He knew his job and would do it.

Chase approached the Houses. "Well, what do you think?"

"Robert, everything looks wonderful!" Kate exclaimed.

"Lot of money spent. You could have given that to me as a retirement present instead." House grumbled, as the waiter put a glass of scotch in his hand.

Kate and Chase ignored him, as usual.

"Robert, have you seen Allison yet?"

"No. It doesn't matter, anyway, Kate. She's not coming alone."

"What? What do you mean?"

"I saw the acceptances. It said Allison Cameron and guest. She's bringing a date."

"That doesn't necessarily mean…"

"I've got an idea! Why don't I pass her a note in study hall and tell her that you like her. Now should I say you **like **her like her or just like her?' House snarked. "Oh, would you two stop it! Chase, you and Cameron are not teenagers. Just talk to her, tell her you missed her and see what she says. You don't have that much time left."

"Greg." Kate rolled her eyes. But Chase just smiled. House was right, as usual.

"Excuse me, I have a lot of things to see to. I'll talk to you two later."

He hurried away, stopping only to greet Wilson and his wife as they approached House and Kate.

"Wow," Wilson observed, "All of these people can't be here for you. They must have wandered into the wrong party."

"Bet I beat the number of people at your party. Oh right, most of your patients are dead."

"Greg!" Kate and Bridget both admonished him.

"Well, it's true!" House took another sip of his drink. "Wonder what all these people would say if I got up there and announced I wasn't retiring."

"They wouldn't be surprised because they all know you. But your replacement wouldn't be very happy with you."

House just grunted at that.

"Come on, Greg, if you don't retire, we can't take that cruise around the world with James and Bridget."

House looked at her. He knew that she was looking forward to his retirement. She worried about him constantly. He didn't understand why. He was relatively healthy, other than a few aches and pains that were common for someone his age. He only suffered from the normal arthritis common to someone his age. Why couldn't they do something about that?

He wondered how much time he had left. He knew that genetics played a part in life expectancy. His father had died at age seventy-six, so he had already surpassed that. His heart was strong, so he didn't think he would die as John House had. His mother, on the other hand, had passed away six years previously at age ninety-four. She had been amazingly healthy and had died peacefully in her sleep. If you had to die, that was certainly the way to do it. Blythe House had class to the end.

He was interrupted in his musings by the approach of Lisa Cuddy. She and Kate squealed and hugged each other, exclaiming over their appearances with a lot of "you look greats" and "you look wonderfuls." Bridget Wilson added to the noise, making the squeal level rise to unhealthy proportions.

House started to turn away, when Cuddy grabbed his arm. "Greg House, don't you dare walk away!"

She put her arms around him and gave him a big hug. "I never thought I'd see the day that Gregory House would be retiring."

"Me neither. But it's no fun at the hospital without watching your ass every day, so I figured I might as well leave."

Cuddy smiled. Even though she was in her seventies, she was still a handsome woman, still vital and alive.

Kate began asking her about her daughter and Cuddy asked Bridget about the Wilsons' four sons. Soon the three women were in a full-fledged brag fest about their children.

Before long, though, Cuddy saw some people she wanted to greet and Wilson saw a doctor that he wanted to introduce Bridget to. They moved away, leaving House and Kate alone.

As they chatted and watched the crowd, a middle-aged woman came up behind them and tapped House lightly on the shoulder. With her lovely green eyes shining, she said, "Do you remember me, House?"

House smiled at her. "Of course I do. You're the hooker I hired thirty years ago. Wow, they really remembered to invite everyone!"

Allison Cameron laughed. She was glad that her old boss hadn't lost his ability to make jokes. She had been nervous about coming. She was afraid to find him old and feeble. But although he was older, he was still the same House.

She reached for the hand of the young man beside her. "I'd like you to meet my son, Nathan. Nate, this is Dr. House and his wife, Kate."

Kate beamed a smile at her. "You brought your son! How nice."

"Well, it was very convenient. He just started at Princeton this term and since Susan has been at Stanford for two years, I was experiencing some empty nest. This gave me a good opportunity to spend some time with my baby."

Nathan rolled his eyes, but smiled at his mother.

Kate excused herself. "Sorry, Allison, I'll be right back. There's someone I need to see for a moment."

"Kate…" House began, but his wife hurried away. God, he thought, this was really like junior high.

House and Cameron were alone. "You really look wonderful, House."

"For a grumpy old man you mean."

She laughed. "You'll never be old. And you were always grumpy."

"So are you still in private practice?"

"Yes, although I have a younger doctor working with me now. I've been trying to ease up on my hours."

Their conversation was interrupted by Kate and Chase.

"Look who I found!" Kate said. House rolled his eyes. Could she be more blatant?

Cameron's face lit up. "Robert!"

"How are you, Allison?" Chase asked her, his voice cracking a little. God, House was right, this was like junior high. When was the last time his voice had cracked?

"I'm fine. Oh, come here and give me a hug!" She went to him and put her arms around his neck.

Kate started moving House away from the younger couple.

"Why are we going? I want to see if they go at it right here."

"Greg."

"What? It wouldn't be the first time? Didn't I tell you about finding them in the janitor's closet?"

Kate just continued to lead him away.

Cameron introduced her son to Chase. Bored by all of these strangers, her son told her he was going to go and get something to drink. He walked off and they looked nervously at each other.

"So, how is your practice going?"

"It's fine. Actually, I'm easing out of it. I hired on a younger doctor to take over the practice. I'm thinking about moving back here."

"Really?"

"Well, with Susan in school in California and Nathan here, there's no reason to stay in Chicago. And I always liked it here. It would be a good chance to be with old friends." She smiled at him.

He smiled back at her. But the moment was broken by the voice of someone that came up behind them.

"Hey, you two, no sneaking off to the sleep lab, understand."

They both turned. Chase smiled and Cameron squealed as she hugged Foreman.

"Eric! This is wonderful. But where's your wife?" Cameron looked around.

"She stopped off at the ladies' room."

Minutes later they were joined by a lovely woman whom Foreman introduced as his wife Sondra. The four of them chatted, until a signal from the caterer told Chase he needed to round everyone up for dinner.


	53. Chapter 52: Epilogue Part 2

**This is it, the end of the story. Thansk to everyone who has been reading it. I know there is a large, silent group of you out there. I'd love to know what you thought of the ending. I will have more stories in the future, so if you're interested, stay tuned...**

EPILOGUE – Part 2

The dinner was excellent. Chase had hired the best caterer in the area and everything was prepared to perfection. As soon as the last of the dessert dishes were cleared away, Chase climbed up to the podium that was set up in the front of the room on a small stage. House, Kate and their daughters, along with Wilson and his wife, were seated at a table just in front of it.

While still speaking in his normal voice, Chase managed to quiet the guests down. Once all the noise had stopped, Chase began talking.

"Good evening, everyone. I am Doctor Robert Chase, the Dean of Medicine at Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital. I would like to welcome all of you here as we attempt to say farewell to Doctor Gregory House and to thank him for almost forty years of service to this hospital.

"When the announcement was made that Dr. House was retiring, the response I received was overwhelming. I was forced to refuse some people, based on time and space. Patients also wanted to attend, but we just couldn't accommodate them. In a few minutes, I will show you messages from some of them.

"Tonight, you will hear colleagues, both past and present of Dr. House speak of him. You will hear from doctors who worked under him as fellows. That includes myself. You will also hear his daughters. Hopefully, we will embarrass him more than he has embarrassed all of us over the years."

Chase looked at the table where House sat. Kate and the Wilsons were laughing. House just gave him a cool, piercing blue stare.

Chase continued. "As head of the Diagnostic Department, Dr. House treated many patients over the years, from the rich and famous to the poor and homeless. That didn't matter, only the challenge of curing them did. I received letters and emails from so many of his former patients, I can't possibly read them. I've posted them on some boards that are in the back of this room. You can read them when we're finished.

"You should know that some of the writers are very famous. Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Fletcher Stone. Carly Forlano, CEO of several Fortune 500 companies. Three time World Series winning pitcher Hank Wiggen. Captain Greta Cooper, the first woman to walk on Mars. And the former President of the United States, Gary H. Wright."

There was applause from the audience. Chase then introduced the first of many doctors who spoke of their experiences with House. Not everything said was complimentary, but there was a rough respect in all the words. Then Chase introduced the next doctor.

"I had the honor and sometimes annoyance to work with this next doctor. May I present the head of Neurology at Boston General Hospital, Doctor Eric Foreman."

Foreman stepped up to the podium. "I worked for Gregory House for three years before resigning because I didn't want to be like him. I thought I could be a better doctor and a better person away from him. I found out that I couldn't be a better doctor than him. And the person he is made him the doctor he is. And that is the best there is."

Cameron was introduced as well. She smiled at Chase as she stepped up. "I was very young and naïve when I started working for Gregory House. Everyone that worked with us then knew that I had a crush on him. He could have taken advantage of that. I certainly wouldn't have complained. But he didn't. I probably took more advantage of him. But the one thing that he did give me that no other man ever did was knowledge. I learned so much from him and not just about medicine. I especially learned not to care too much. That may seem harsh, but as a doctor, you have to learn to detach yourself or you'll fall apart. After three years with him, I became a better doctor in so many ways."

Cuddy had a turn as well. "Gregory House and I have known each other for a long time. I know that rumors went around this hospital that we were, uh, dating. I know that House helped those rumors with things that he said. People also assumed that was the only reason I let him get away with the things he did. The truth is that although I have known and worked with truly wonderful physicians over the years, I have never known a better one than Gregory House."

Chase then introduced the head of Oncology, Dr. James Wilson.

"I have known Gregory House for an unbelievably long time. Truly, it is unbelievable to me that we've stayed friends so long. I have been asked more times than I can count why I would stay friends with a man like House. People see him as a harsh, mean, sometimes downright cruel jerk. They'd be right. He's all of those things. He's also the most honest and loyal friend that I've ever had. Maybe a part of me is like him, maybe more than I care to admit. But either way, I am proud and happy to have had Gregory House as a friend for over forty years."

When Wilson was finished, Chase stepped up again. "Some thirty-odd years ago, House met and married a wonderful woman named Kate Martin. We all felt she was too good for him." House smiled at that. "Ah, he's smiling. He agrees with me. Kate refused to get up here and talk. So in place of her, I'd like to introduce to you a young woman who just last month made her Carnegie Hall debut as a concert pianist to rave reviews. She married her sound manager last year and they are expecting their first child next winter. Please welcome Emily House Marshall."

Emily walked up to the podium. At thirty years old, she was a lovely woman with reddish brown hair and her father's beautiful blue eyes. She smiled at the assembled guests, and then at her father. "Most people know that besides medicine and my mother, my father's other love is music. Before I could walk or talk, Dad sat me on his lap while he played the piano. He put a guitar in my hands when it was bigger than I was. The happiest moments we've ever know were spent playing together, sometimes piano and guitar, sometimes both on piano. It didn't matter. When I told him that I wanted to be a professional musician, I think I saw envy in his eyes. So every time I walk onto a stage and sit down at a piano, I silently say, 'This is for you, Dad.' Tonight, I want to say thank you, Dad. Thanks for giving me life, for giving me music and for loving me the way you do."

House had to look down at the table. Kate put her hand over his. She knew that he was filled with emotion that he was unable to show.

The guests applauded Emily's words loudly as she took her seat, stopping to give her father a kiss first. Chase returned to the podium.

"How do you replace someone like Gregory House? It's hard, but I think we managed to do that. I'd like to present the newly appointed head of Diagnostics at Princeton Plainsboro, Doctor Monica House."

Monica smiled at her parents as she stepped up. She gave Chase a hug, then pulled out glasses to read the words that she had written. At age forty-three, she was of medium height and build and entirely comfortable in her skin.

"Greg and Kate House adopted me when I was fifteen after a horrendous childhood. What came before doesn't matter. What they gave to me does. Although it wasn't an easy journey. In my first weeks with them, I hated Greg House. Hard to believe that anyone could hate Greg House, isn't it?

She paused for the laughter she knew that remark would bring from the assembled guests.

"But eventually, we found our way and I came to love him and accept him as my father. He also accepted me as his daughter. He told me that he was proud of me. He told me that he loved me and wanted the best for me. Which is why I was so shocked when I applied for a fellowship position on his team and he rejected me."

There was silence in the room at this announcement.

"I had just finished my residency and had received high honors and awards all throughout my schooling. My dream was to do what my father did and to work on his team. When a position opened up, I was thrilled. But Gregory House insisted I give him a resume and he interviewed me along with all of the other applicants. And when the selection time came, he chose someone else.

"To say I was angry is an understatement. How could he, my own father, reject me? He knew how hard I had worked, how much I wanted it. So I confronted him, full of anger and righteous indignation. And he told me that I just wasn't the best candidate for the job. I needed some experience. I needed to practice medicine a little first. But, I said, I'm your daughter! That's when he got angry. How dare I expect anything based on who I know or what my name is. Anything worth having is worth working for. When I had worked for it and earned it, I might get a place on his team.

"I angrily moved across the country and accepted a position in San Francisco. Five years later, I applied for his fellowship again. This time he hired me. In the office, he never treated me any different from the other fellows. In other words, he yelled at me and called me a moron when he thought I was. And never praised me when I did something right. But when he decided to retire, I know that he recommended me to replace him, though he won't admit it. And I know that he did that because he believes that I am the best one for that job, not because I am his daughter.

"I am proud to be the daughter and protégé of Dr. Gregory House. Thank you, Dad."

Chase stepped up again. "In case you're wondering why I get to speak about House last, well, I'm the head of this hospital. Plus, I planned this event and I made the schedule. So there."

Mild chuckling from the audience.

"I worked for Gregory House for four years until he fired me. Why did he fire me? Well, he said that either I'd learned everything I could from him or nothing at all.

"I didn't learn everything I could, no one possibly could learn everything that Gregory House has to offer. But it wasn't 'nothing' either. Everyone has told you how much they learned from House. I won't bore you with that.

"House and I did not always see eye to eye. One time I ratted him out to a bully who wanted to take over this hospital. Another time, he punched me right in the hospital lobby. He berated me, humiliated me, ridiculed my home and my background. So what do I really think of the man?

"He's the closest thing to a father I have ever known in my life. Ladies and gentlemen, please raise your glasses in a toast to Doctor Gregory House – the finest doctor and the finest man I have ever known."

The assembled guests all stood and raised their glasses. House's head was bent, he was swallowing hard and Kate knew he was trying to control the emotion.

People started urging the guest of honor by calling out, "Speech! Speech!"

Chase looked at him, a question in his eyes. House glanced up, then down again.

Chase s spoke again. "Ladies and gentlemen, we have achieved the impossible tonight. We have rendered Gregory House speechless."

Wild applause broke out in the room. House looked up again, a smile on his face and a small chuckle erupted from him. He picked up his cane and made his way slowly to the podium. Chase reached for his arm to help him up. House gave the younger man a dirty look.

"I'm not feeble yet."

He leaned his cane against the podium and, resting his arms on the end of it, looked out at the people assembled. All were friends or colleagues, former or present. He cleared his throat and began to speak.

"Seems like everyone here agrees on the fact that I'm a jerk. Good to know. But for some reason, you all also seem to love me. Gee, I wished I'd known that for the last forty years. I could have really made you guys miserable. Then of course, you might not have loved me as much. Hmm, strange paradox."

"I was going to come up here and announce that I'm not retiring after all, but I think Monica would murder me anyway, so what would be the point? A new Dr. House to torture you." He raised his eyebrows maniacally. People laughed a little nervously.

"I have been fortunate for the last forty years to have worked at a hospital that allowed me to do what I needed to do and for bosses who didn't fire me for doing it.

"Although I have been exposed to an unusual amount of idiots during my tenure here, I have also had the privilege to work with some very fine doctors. They claim that I made them better. Maybe I did, maybe I didn't. If I did, I want royalties. If I didn't, it wasn't my fault. Don't sue me.

"Over forty years ago, Doctor Lisa Cuddy hired me. I'm still not sure why. But I'm happy that she did…the view of her anatomy was excellent. Still is, by the way."

Cuddy's smile burst into laughter along with the rest of the room.

"Jimmy Wilson wondered why we've been friends for so long. That's easy. He bought lunch. Why do you think I'm retiring before him? If he leaves first, I'll have to buy my own. Since we'll both be retired, he can continue to buy my lunch. It's a win-win.

"Finally, I'd like to talk about my family. My two beautiful daughters who spoke to you. Once again, if I'd known they felt that way, I might not have grounded them so much. Oh well, water under the bridge.

"And then there's Kate. I never really understood why she married me. She could have done a hell of a lot better. But I'm glad she did. She literally saved my life. And she kept her promise to grow old with me. Cool.

"So, I'm saying goodbye to you tonight. Of course, you know I'll turn up now and then. Gotta check up on everyone, make sure you're not acting like morons. But for now, I'm gonna say, later."

He made his way down from the podium to the sound of thunderous applause. He returned to his table and sat down beside Kate who had tears running down her cheeks. He leaned over and kissed her. There was as much passion in that kiss as the first one in that bar. His arm stayed around her as the people came to his table to pat him on the back and shake his hand. He endured it all stoically. Kate was beside him and that's all that mattered.

The End


End file.
